Running From The Devil
by Catherine Willmon 2013
Summary: A domestic abuse case forces Olivia to relive painful memories of being abused by an ex-boyfriend. When she discovers that he's coming after her, her life is suddenly in danger. And, as always, please make sure to R&R!
1. When it happens to you

**Title: Running From The Devil**

**Characters/Parings: Elliot/Olivia; Munch/Alex; Chester/Casey; Fin/Melinda; Cragen/Donnelly**

**Rating: PG-13/R**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Can't sue me. You know the damn deal.**

**Setting/Classification: AU**

**Spoilers/Notes: Season 9. Elliot and Melinda are divorced. Eli's not his. Casey and Chester never left (this Kim chick really needs to take a chill pill or something).**

**Summary: A domestic violence case forces Olivia relive painful memories of being abused by an ex-boyfriend. When she discovers that he's coming after her, her life suddenly becomes in danger.**

**Author's note: Okay, so I have a habit of writing these types of stories, but what can I say? They're personal and it sends a message on what to do if you're even in a similar situation. Just remember that if you are or were in an abusive relationship, it's not your fault and it's not too late to get out. Believe me, the life you safe could very well be your very own.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 22, 2008**

"Benson, Stabler! My office, now!" Captain Donald 'Don' Cragen barked to his best detectives.

Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson just looked at each other and sighed. Their work was never done at the one six. Groaning with annoyance, they both got up from their respective desk and walked to his office side by side, like they always do. Everyone could see how well meshed they are together. If only they could see they were meant to be together as well.

"It seems that we're in a rough spot here and it's up to us to fix it right away," Cragen said as they stepped inside and closed the door behind them. Then they both sat down.

"What's going on, Cap?" Elliot asked, looking curious.

"Well, it seems we're getting more and more DV cases than any other case we have in this unit and I want them closed yesterday. Since sex crimes are at an all time low nowadays, it's time to tackle something different," Cragen told them.

"Domestic abuse cases are the top story of the moment," Olivia said in an soft, unsure voice; something that Elliot has taken notice as of late.

"Exactly. Which is why I want you two on this right away. I would give it to Munch, Fin and Lake, but they're gonna help you out. Now, the latest one right here: a 21-year-old girl named Lisa Anderson reportedly has been abused by her boyfriend, Kenny Parker but nothing real solid has come up yet. Go and talk to her before 1pp starts chomping on my ass," Cragen demanded.

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other with knowing glances on their faces as they got up and left. Just another stressful day at the Special Victims Unit.

And, for Olivia, it proves that this case was gonna eat her up inside.

X

**Lisa Anderson's apartment**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**April 22, 2008**

Elliot and Olivia arrived at Lisa Anderson's apartment a little while later and when they did, they could hear her screaming. Drawing out their guns, they went to the door and waited to see if she was just having a nightmare or if it was something more.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed.

"Nothing doing, you stupid ass bitch! Try to leave me and see if I don't kill you!" Kenny roared.

Elliot had enough. He kicked the door open and barged right inside with Olivia trailing close behind. They searched every room until they found Lisa slouched over by a corner in fear, hiding her face in her hands. A man was standing over her, wielding a leather belt in his hands.

"Now you're gonna get it, you little bitch!" Kenny roared, ready to lash her with the belt.

"Put the belt down and put your hands on your head!" Elliot snapped.

Kenny looked over his shoulder and came face to face with the barrel of Elliot's gun. He just got more and more angrier because he couldn't believe the bitch had the nerve to call the cops on him. He already went to jail once because of her big mouth and he's not going back. He'll kill her first.

"You fucking bitch! I've already went to jail because of your big fucking mouth! I'm gonna kill you!" he snapped at Lisa. He moved to lunge at her when he felt a sharp pain tear through his leg. Down he went like ton of bricks and he collapsed on the floor. Elliot looked over his shoulder and saw Olivia in position. He knew she shot him.

"You okay?" he mouthed at her.

She just nodded her head. Elliot got right behind him and slapped the cuffs on him while Olivia went over to tend to the victim. When she saw the scared look on Lisa's face, it brought back painful memories of she endured during her younger years; having to live in fear of the man she loved was painful, to say the least.

"Lisa, are you okay?" Olivia asked softly.

"H-he hit me. I don't know what's wrong with me," Lisa stammered, hot tears falling from her eyes.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch!" Kenny snapped as Elliot pulled him up from the floor.

"Can't do that. You're under arrest for assault," Elliot said as he pushed Kenny out of the room. As they left, the man looked over his shoulder and glared at Lisa.

"You're gonna pay for this, bitch! Mark my words: you're gonna fucking pay for this!" he threatened, which made her shrink back in fear.

Olivia felt hot tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She heard those exact same words and to this day, she's still haunted by them. As she and Lisa walked out of the apartment, the brunette wondered how long will she able to keep it hidden.

And she wondered how long will she be able to handle it.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**Interrogation room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 22, 2008**

"So, you think you man enough to hit a woman, you little bitch!?" Elliot sneered as he got right into the man's face.

Kenny just glared at the blue eyed hunk. "Get out of my fucking face, detective. You act like you want me. I think I can work something out with you."

"Why would I want a fucking woman beater?! You make me so goddamn sick! I should knock you the fuck out!" Elliot snapped.

"Lisa's not gonna testify against me. The bitch already has too much to lose. Besides, I'm all she has. Losing me will devastate her. She won't be able to handle being alone and she can't handle having my people coming after her," the man said with a smirk on his face.

"You're threatening her? The only thing she's gonna lose is you. Keep acting cocky; it won't do you any good," Elliot retorted.

"Look, all I'm gonna say is this: if my girlfriend don't drop the charges against me, I can't control my people. Lisa's sad and miserable life will end just like that," the man said with a grin on his face.

Just then, Olivia walked in with a manila envelope in her arms. She glared at Kenny as she dropped the folder on the table and sat down, thinking about how she's gonna keep herself composed. Dealing with rapists and child abusers were bad enough, but having to deal with women beaters tore her up emotionally and mentally.

"What's up, beautiful? Why don't you get rid of your partner and get with me? I can show you a real good time," Kenny flirted, licking his lips. He liked what he saw. Who wouldn't want Olivia? She was gorgeous.

Olivia looked disgusted. "I don't date scum and I surely don't date woman beaters. You're going down this time, Kenny."

"Now that's where you're wrong. Lisa's not gonna testify against me, honey. My people will take her out," Kenny mouthed off.

"Yeah, just like 'your people' took out your last girlfriend," Olivia responded, which caught the perp completely off guard.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Kenny stammered. Elliot and Olivia got him now.

"Yolanda Pearson, age 19. Was found shot to death in her own home on April 3, 2007. Evidence showed that she's been abused by her boyfriend for quite some time. She was also gang-raped. And, guess what, Kenny? This one fits you," Olivia said with an angry look on her face.

Kenny looked nervous and apprehensive. He didn't think it would come back to bite him on the ass so soon, but he did a good putting it in the back of his mind. Did Lisa know about this?

"Have something to say now, Kenny? Cat's got your tongue?" Elliot mocked.

Just when Kenny was about to open his mouth and say something, his lawyer walked in, looking none too pleased.

"I should've known you showed up," Elliot said, looking upset.

"I'd like a word with my client," Humphry Miller simply said.

Elliot and Olivia walked out of the interrogation room, feeling confidant that at least Lisa was gonna be safe. They went into the interview room and found her sitting at the table, looking disheveled. Olivia felt a twinge of pain in her heart because she remembered sitting at that same table, talking about the abuse she endured.

Thinking about what happened in her teenager years made her realize how lucky she was to be standing on her two feet today. However, there was a time that she thought she was never gonna get out of the hell hole her boyfriend put her in. The tormenting, the pain, the suffering, the vile name-calling, the hitting, the punching and the humiliation was all she thought about and was all she felt. Sometimes, she felt like she wasn't the same person.

"Livvie, are you okay?" Elliot asked in a soothing tone.

She snapped out of her trance and smiled at him. "I'm fine, El."

"If you need to talk..." he assured her.

"You'll be the first to know," she told him as she walked inside the interview room.

Elliot felt something was wrong with his partner. She's been acting weird and moody lately and it didn't help that they have to deal with these domestic abuses cases. Even hearing about them made his blood boil. But, to see his partner, best friend and the woman he has loved for so long look so...fragile and vulnerable made his heart break. He knew something was definitely wrong.

However, he's gonna realize that something bad was really gonna happen. Something that will change their lives forever.

And this is something that he's not gonna be prepared for.

X

**Attica Correctional Facility**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 23, 2008**

He's been waiting a long time for this day to come.

He's been waiting a long time to do something he should've done a long time ago.

He's been waiting...for Olivia Benson.

Stupid bitch ruined his life. He was angry. He was pissed. He was furious. He was irate. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to make her life a living fucking hell. Now, he'll get that chance. He'll get his revenge on her.

Breathing in the fresh air and feeling the sun beaming down on his face, he stood outside. He was now able to roam the streets as a free man. He smiled because this is his chance to finish what he started. And the first thing he's gonna do is take care of Olivia Benson.

He's been keeping tabs on her since he spent his time in the slammer. He was able to gain a lot of knowledge on her. So, the lying bitch became a cop. She's not cleaning up the streets everyday. Every time her name was mentioned, he got more and more angry. For years, he did everything he could to keep her under his control; but the moment she opened her mouth, it was all over. Her testimony got him locked up in the first place. He wanted to wring her neck. Now, he's gonna get his chance to make sure she keeps her mouth shut...permanently.

_Just you wait, bitch. Your day will come. I'll make sure of it. You're gonna regret ever messing with me, _he thought with an evil grin on his face as he walked away from Attica.

Oh, yes, he has big plans for her. Big plans.

**There's more in the next chapter! Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	2. Coming back to bite

**The response to my new story has been amazing, thank you so very much! I decided to do something different; to have Olivia's past thrown in. Don't worry, this is an EO story, but it's gonna take some time for them to get together because of the baggage she's carrying concerning her abusive relationship. Don't forget, her ex-boyfriend is now seeking revenge against her. **

**Furthermore, if you wanna know how Olivia's gonna come face to face with her ex, stay tuned. Something bad happens to her as the story rolls along. Oh, and keep in mind, there's gonna be quite of few flashbacks as well.**

**NEW EPISODE THIS TUESDAY! NEW EPISODE THIS TUESDAY! NEW EPISODE THIS TUESDAY!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Olivia Benson's apartment**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 24, 2008**

_Walking into school with a black eye and a bruised cheek, Olivia kept her head low as she walked towards her locker. Last night was no walk in the park, to say the least. It went from having a good time on a date with her boyfriend to him attacking her after he kept accusing her of seeing another man, which she's not. But, there was no use convincing him, especially since he has a tendency to be violent all the time now._

_As she headed towards her locker, she failed to notice her boyfriend standing at his locker, surrounded by several members of the cheerleading squad. They were flirting with them and he loved the attention they were giving him. He was one of the most popular guys in school, so he was used to all the attention that was given to him._

_Olivia opened her locker door and stuck her head inside. Tears started falling from her eyes because she couldn't believe she allowed him to hurt her once again. What was wrong with her? Her life was already in shambles and being with him made it worse, but it wasn't like she can walk away. For one, they have a class together and two, he threatened to hurt her even more if she ever left him. _

_The bell rang, which means it was time for home room. She grabbed the things she needed for her class and closed the door. Just as she was walking towards her class, he ambushed her._

"_People are asking questions, you bitch," he leered at her._

"_I-I didn't say anything," she stammered._

"_It doesn't matter, you whore. Your actions are speaking louder than your fucking words. I told you to cover up your bruises. You know what's gonna happen if you don't follow the rules," he warned, his eyes cold and menacing._

"_Please, I need to get to class," she pleaded, more tears brimming in her brown eyes. She was about to walk away when he grabbed her arm and pushed her against the lockers. She groaned out in pain._

"_I'm not done with you! Who have you been talking to?!" he demanded._

"_N-no one, I swear," she stammered. She was starting to get scared of him again._

"_Lying bitch," he said through gritted teeth. Olivia shrunk back in fear because she knew he could explode at any second. He has the tendency to lash out at her a lot._

"_I didn't say anything to anyone. Honest," she tried to assured him._

"_You're lying to me, Olivia Benson. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's lying bitches like you. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't smack the shit out of you right now!" he screamed in her face._

"_Hey, what's going on out here? Shouldn't you two be in class?" a school administer called out to them._

_Olivia saw her chance to get away from him and she did. She ran as fast as her feet would let her go. She didn't go to class because she didn't wanna face anyone. She went to the nearest bathroom and went right inside. _

_She went into one of the stalls and closed the door. She slid down on the floor and drew her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her arms. Sobbing hysterically, thoughts of what happened earlier plagued her mind. Once again, her boyfriend instilled fear within her. She was losing herself and she didn't know how she's gonna be strong enough to walk away from him. He was so popular, he could turn the whole school against her with his convincing lies. She wouldn't be able to defend herself even if she tried._

_She does know one thing, though. She doesn't wanna see him again, but that's gonna be hard, considering that he's gonna be calling her constantly..._

Olivia sighed deeply as she got dressed for work. She remembered that day very well because her ex-boyfriend was doing it again. He was controlling her with his words and his fists. Having coming to school with cuts and bruises all over her body was no fun at all. She did everything she could to cover up her body with oversized shirts, sweat pants and hooded sweaters. She even started wearing sunglasses because she was sporting black eyes. He did an excellent job inflicting so much pain on her.

Trying so hard not to think about her past, she finished getting ready to go to work. She had more case to solve, more perps to capture and more victims to save.

After all, a detective's work is never done.

X

**Apartment of Dave and Charlene Jones**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**April 24, 2008**

"Hey, what do we got here?" Olivia asked as she stepped inside the building and found Elliot kneeling down in front of the victim. He held up a finger, indicting to give him a second so he can converse with his partner.

"Say hello to Charlene Jones. She's our latest D.V. victim. Husband beat her up so bad, she has a couple of broken ribs, bruises on her face and it looked like she was raped. Furthermore, she's pregnant," Elliot whispered, which made Olivia cringe.

"How long ago was this?" she whispered, looking angry.

"3 hours ago. A neighbor called the police; complaining of screaming and yelling from their apartment. Husband's in custody right now. He tried hitting her with a frying pan as we were apprehending him," he replied, shaking his head.

"I'll ride with the vic and see if I can get a statement from her," she simply said as she turned on her heel and started walking away.

"Liv, are you okay?" he called out to her.

She turned around and looked at him. "I'm fine. I just didn't get any good night's sleep last night, that's all."

As she walked away, he knew something was wrong, but he knew better than to push her. She's been acting moody and distant lately and it's not just the cases they're working on. Every time they came across a victim, he saw her cringe or act really cold towards the perp. However, he knew better than to ask her what's going on. He didn't want her to snap at him.

But, he was gonna find out what's going on with his partner/best friend.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**Interrogation room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 24, 2008**

"So, tell me, Dave, does it feel good to hit a woman?!" Olivia snapped in his face.

Dave smiled. "My bitch of a wife deserved it. However, being in here ain't no piece of cake. I'll be out of here in a couple of hours and she'll be back home with me. After all, she has nowhere else to go."

"How can you smile after what you did to her, you bastard?! You beat and raped her! She's pregnant with your child! You even tried clocking her upside the head with the frying pan!!" Olivia screamed.

"Like I said, the bitch deserved it," he said, still smiling.

"You're a poor miserable excuse for a man. I don't know what Charlene saw in you, but she won't have to worry about being in the same room with you anymore. I'm gonna personally make sure that your ass is gonna be locked up for a long time," she hissed right in his face.

He just kept smiling. "Do you really think my wife is gonna testify against me? I don't think so. Where will she go? She has no family, no friends, no anything. I'm all she has. Besides, she knows what's gonna happen if she puts me in jail. I'll make sure she pays big time."

Olivia grabs his face hard and jerked his head back, causing him to whimper in pain. She had enough of him jerking her around and causing his wife so much pain.

"I think the men in prison would love to have your prissy ass. As you know, abusers don't sit well behind bars!" she screamed. Elliot came in and pulled Olivia off of the perp before she did something she would regret. He pulled her out into the hallway, but it was a struggle because she was screaming and yelling.

"Let me go, El!" she screamed. He finally released her and held in his breath because he knew she was about to go off on him.

"What the hell were you thinking pulling me out?!" she screamed.

"Liv, tell me what's going on. You're acting moody and distant in the last few weeks and today, you're attacking the perp. I haven't seen you this pissed since you attacked that angry rapist last year," he told her.

"That son of a bitch deserved it!" she snapped.

"Liv, calm down. This isn't like you. Tell me what's going on," he begged. He was running out of patience here and he felt like he was losing her. He was losing the only person, besides his kids, that mattered to him.

"Nothing's going on. I'm just so pissed to see all these women being beaten and treated wrong by these men, who was supposed to love and protect them. I just need to get away for a while," she simply said before she walked away from him.

It was a losing battle. Elliot didn't know what to do. He was losing his best friend. Something must've happened that caused her to react so violently. If someone was hurting her, he had a right to know. If someone was hurting her, he was gonna do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

And beat the crap out the man who laid a hand on her.

X

**Meloni's Bar**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 24, 2008**

Nursing a glass of beer, Olivia sat at the bar, sulking at today's events and what she did. God, she didn't know what was wrong with her, but these cases was taking a major toll on her. She was tired of having to deal with these case day in and day out. She was done.

Sighing deeply, she slapped a 20 dollar bill on the table and turned to leave. Just when she was about to walk out the door, someone else came in and he looked mad. Olivia looked up and gasped in horror at the sight of the man coming in. And when he saw her, he had a cruel, sadistic smile on his face.

She knew who he was. How could she not know who he was? He was the same man who victimized her back in high school and college.

"Olivia Benson. How long has it been?" he sneered. She didn't say anything.

"Well, let me tell you what I've been up to. Since you got me locked up, I had to deal with being tortured every single day. I was told when to eat, when to sleep, when to wake up. I had to work and I had to endure beat downs from other inmates. You see, you made a fatal mistake. You opened your mouth when you shouldn't have," he said as he grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her out of the bar. Even though she was a cop, she was also a woman and she felt her defenses started slipping away.

When they reached the side of the bar, he pushed her against the brick wall hard. She hissed when she felt the pain shooting up on her back. He smiled before he wrapped his hand around her neck.

"Let me tell you something, you stupid bitch. I'm back and I'm not going anywhere. You made a big mistake breaking my heart and getting me locked up. I'm gonna let you know up front; I will get my revenge. I will make you pay for putting me through hell. You ruined my life. I know everything about you. I know where you work and who you work with. Tell anyone about this, and I'll be coming after them as well," he warned. He was so pissed that he wanted to kill her right there and then.

"Please...don't..." Olivia tried to breath. Hot tears started falling from her eyes. She reached down to grab her gun, but she kicked herself because she left it in her locker. Furthermore, she struggled to get away from him, but his hold on her neck got even tighter.

"Don't even think about fighting back; I'm a lot stronger than you. I've been working out while I was in the slammer. Plus, I got a lot more smarter, too," he grinned foolishly.

With some strength left in her, she raised her leg up and kicked him where it really hurts. He screamed out in pain and released her from his strong grip. She breathed heavily as she held her neck. Unfortunately, just as she was about to take off running, he grabbed her and threw her down on the ground. He reached down and grabbed her by her short brown hair tightly, pulling a few strands along the way. More and more tears started falling from her eyes as she looking into his hazel eyes.

"That was a big fucking mistake," he growled in her face. He drew his fist back and punched her dead in her face. Blood started gushing out of her mouth when he did this.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You pissed me off, bitch. Now, it's time for you to pay. And don't even think about telling anyone about what happened; 'cause I'll do so much worse. I'll be watching you all the time!" he snapped. He punched her in her face one more time before he pushed her down on the ground and walked away.

Olivia was too weak to get up. Her face was sore, she was coughing up blood and the nightmares returned with a vengeance. She was scared; really scared.

Scared that her ex-boyfriend, Orlando Cane was back in her life.

**So his name is revealed! Coming up in the next chapter: Olivia comes to work with the injuries she sustained and Elliot begins to realize that something was definitely wrong. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	3. Breaking down

**In honor of tonight's brand NEW episode, here's the brand new episode. Someone asked me if there's gonna be a face off between Elliot and Olivia. Things are gonna get a little heated between them, but everything's gonna be all good quickly. Remember, the issue is Olivia's ex coming back to seek revenge against her. Furthermore, more flashbacks are coming this way. This flashback in this chapter is really evident because it has something to do with the episode from season six. I think you know what it is.**

**And, one more thing, I already know how I'm gonna get rid of Orlando in the story. The question is, how would you like to see him go in the story? Hit me up and let me know.**

**Oh, if you're wondering if Olivia and Orlando dated after college, I'm afraid so. I'll explain as the story rolls along.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Olivia Benson's apartment **

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 25, 2008**

Hearing the alarm go off made Olivia groan with impatience. She put the pillow over her head to muffle the sounds, but it didn't do her any good and she had to get up, anyway. It was gonna be another long day at work and she has no chance of going back to sleep. Putting her arm out, she slammed the alarm clock down and breathed a sigh of relief when it finally stopped ringing.

Removing the pillow away from her head, her chocolate brown eyes squinted when the sun came full force into view of her bedroom, which made her annoyed. Groaning in pain, she realized that the injuries she sustained wasn't gonna swell down anytime soon. Her ex-boyfriend had a habit of making sure she suffers for a long time.

Orlando Cane was back in her life. Back to seek revenge. Back to make her pay for what she did. Back to make her life a living hell. God, couldn't the can take a fucking hint or something? The moment he got arrested was the moment she finally had enough. The moment he got locked up was the moment she finally found her backbone and called things off with him. But, that didn't matter to him. He was still determined to control her from behind bars. Now that he's out, he was determined to finish what he started.

Orlando has always been jealous and controlling. He didn't want her talking to any other boy at school. Hell, he didn't want her talking to any female friends she had. He wanted her all to himself. He told her what to wear, what kind of makeup she should wear and how she should present herself in public. It was like having a mean, abusive father that she didn't want.

Now, it's gonna be hard to look at Elliot when she goes to work. She didn't wanna deal with him being all concerned and wondering what was going on with her. She didn't want the third degree. Olivia couldn't say anything even if she wanted to. With Orlando watching her every move, she just couldn't handle it.

Just like she couldn't handle what he did when she was sixteen...

_Running as far as her feet would let her go, Olivia had tears streaming down her face as she heard Orlando yelling and screaming at her. With blood oozing from her nose and more bruises forming on her face, she couldn't believe he did it again. His anger got the best of him. But, this time, he went way too far._

_Tonight, after having another heated confrontation at school, he smacked her across her face. Instead of going to class, she ran out of school and went to the one place where she did belong. There was one man who did care about her and loved her to a certain extent. She had enough of Orlando hurting her and treating her like she was shit. She had enough of him belittling her and using her as his personal punching bag. She decided to stand up for herself, which pissed him off even more._

_Wrapping her arms around herself, she felt the cool wind whisk against her as she kept walking. Her car was in the shop and she doubt if her mother was gonna get it fixed for her. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if her mother didn't do anything for her. Their relationship wasn't at best and the fact that she's dating Orlando made their relationship even worse. _

"_Olivia! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" a handsome and caring young man called out to her. He saw her walking up the steps, looking disheveled and broken._

"_I had to get away," she simply said. He was shocked to see her battered, bloody and bruised._

"_He did this to you again? Liv, honey, when are you gonna get rid of that loser?" he said angrily as he brought her inside._

"_I can't leave him. He'd kill me if I did. He said so himself. I'm so scared he'll do something. To make matters worse, things between me and my mother is getting worse," she broke down and cried. He just held her and kissed her forehead gently._

"_What happened?!" he asked frantically._

"_Well, she's not happy that I'm dating Orlando, but that's beside the point. When she found out that I accepted your marriage proposal, she said she'll get you kicked out of school if I didn't call it off. I told her I was moving out because I had enough of her hurting me. She was drinking yet again when she dropped the bottle of the vodka and came at me with the jagged edge of it. She said she'll never let anyone else have me. I kicked her. I never hurt her before. I got out of there before something bad really happened. I just had enough," she sobbed on his shoulder._

"_And then you went to school and had to deal with Orlando's bullshit. I wanna kill him!" he snapped. He just held her tighter because she needed some major comfort right now._

"_I don't know what to do. I wanna leave him; hell, I told him it was over, but I know he's gonna hurt me even more. He calls me all the time; he shows up everywhere I go and he's so controlling. It's like I'm looking into the eyes of my father," she wept._

"_Well, you can stay with me as long as you want. I have a spare bedroom in the back. Why don't you go and get some rest. We'll figure out what we're gonna do about Orlando later," he said as he lead her to the bedroom. He sighed as he watched her climb in the bed. Anger boiled in his veins because he can't stand any woman being hurt like this. He knew one thing; if Orlando knew what's good for him, he'd stay away from her._

_He intends to protect Olivia at all cost...._

A small smile escaped her lips when she thought about how protective and caring her former fiancé was to her. She knew she could count on him to be there for her when times got rough. He was so considerate to let her stay with him after her ordeal with her mother and Orlando. She wanted nothing more than to be away from them once for all. She's been jerked around, used and abused long enough.

However, she quickly realized that Orlando doesn't take rejection very well...

_Olivia woke up right away when she heard some commotion in the living room. She quickly climbed out of bed, took a peak through the door and gasped in horror at the sight before her._

"_Where the fuck is she?!" Orlando barked to her fiancé._

"_Why? So you can hurt her some more, you bastard?!" he barked back._

"_She's here, isn't she?! Tell her to come out right now!" Orlando snapped._

"_She's not coming out! She doesn't wanna see you! She wants nothing to do with you anymore! Take a fucking hint, man! She wants a man who doesn't hit her! Besides, I'm a better man for her. We're getting married!" he exclaimed._

_No! How could he?! Oh, God, he just made Orlando more and more pissed, she thought with tears falling from her eyes. Sure enough, Orlando went into a rage when he heard the news. She cringed when she heard a punch being delivered._

"_YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I'M GONNA FIND THE BITCH AND TAKE HER BACK WHERE SHE FUCKING BELONGS!" Orlando raged as he stormed through the house. Not wanting to be seen, she took another peak to make sure he wasn't in sight and when he wasn't, she made a mad dash for the door. However, just as she was about to get out, she felt her hair being pulled. Screaming out in pain, she struggled to get away, but he yanked her back._

"_Thought you were gonna get away from me?! I don't think so! You're mine!" he roared in her face. He grabbed her hand and forcefully slid the engagement ring off her finger, then he threw it down on the floor._

"_Let me go! I don't want you anymore!" she screamed. He raised his hand and slapped her hard across her face. Her fiancé saw the whole thing and got real upset. He jumped on Orlando's back and tackled him down on the ground. As they proceeded to beat the holy hell out of each other, she took off running, not looking back. She didn't know where she was going, but there's no way she's going back after what Orlando did this time. And there was no way in hell she was going back home. No more excuses, no more trying to change him. She was done. _

"_Get back here, you stupid bitch! I'm not done with you!" she heard him yell. She didn't stop. She kept on running and crying. With blood oozing out of her nose and bruises forming on her face, she was done. She hated leaving Jackson behind, but she had to get the hell out of there._

_However, breaking up with him at this point was gonna be much harder than she thought..._

Sighing deeply, she climbed out of bed and proceeded to get ready for work. God, thinking about what her ex-boyfriend did to her was depressing. She can't think about that right now. She has work to do.

And dealing with another D.V. case was taking a toll on her.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 25, 2008**

Elliot couldn't help but notice his partner walking in wearing sunglasses and oversized clothing. He shook his head in disbelief because he knew something was definitely wrong now. For the last several weeks, he noticed a frightening change in her; attacking perp, breaking down and sobbing in the locker room and snapping at her coworkers for no legitimate reason. Fear lumped in his veins because he knew someone was definitely hurting her. He was gonna get to the bottom of it right away.

"Olivia, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked out of the blue when he saw her sitting down at her desk.

"Not now, Elliot. We have work to do. Do you have the file on the Anderson case?" she said sternly. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his questioning right now.

"Liv, can you tell me what's wrong? What's happened to you? Why can't you talk to me?" he begged. She shot her head up and glared at him.

"Didn't I say not now?! I told you, we have work to do!" she snapped.

Slumping back against his chair and feeling defeated, he knew he wasn't gonna get anywhere with her right now.

"Hey, Liv, there's someone out there for you. His name's Orlando," Fin said as he walked.

She cringed when she heard that name. "Tell him I don't wanna see him right now. I'm working."

"He said he knew you were gonna say that, so he left you this," he said as he laid a folded piece of paper down on her desk and walked away without saying another word. She stared at it for a second before she grabbed it and started tearing it up into little pieces. Then she threw it in the waste paper basket. She wasn't gonna read it because she knew it was a threatening note. She didn't wanna deal with him.

"Who's Orlando? How long have you've been seeing him?" Elliot asked right away.

Olivia glared at him. "That's none of your business!"

"It is my business when my partner is being hurt! Damn it, Olivia, is he the one who's hurting you?! Is that way you're coming to work wearing oversized clothes and sunglasses?! Tell me what's going on!" he demanded.

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!" she screamed as she got up from her desk and ran out of the bullpen. He ran right after her because he wasn't about to sit back and let this linger on any longer. He needs to know the truth.

Olivia ran all the way up to the roof. She couldn't handle being interrogated by Elliot any longer. She just wanted to be left alone, but he was making it harder and harder. As soon as she hit the pavement, she sunk down on her knees and started crying. Everything was just closing in around her. She was falling apart. She wanted to curl up and die.

"Liv, baby, tell me what's going on. I'm not leaving you alone until you do and I'm not letting you out my sight, either," he demanded. However, his mood changed when he saw her on the ground, sobbing.

"Please, just leave me alone, El," she begged and pleaded.

He kneeled down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. He expected her to pull away and snap at him some more, but to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed on his shoulder. He wanted to make sure he was gonna be okay.

"Liv, how do you know this Orlando guy?" he whispered.

She sniffed. "He was my boyfriend. I knew him for a very long time. He used to beat me."

No wonder she didn't wanna see him. Her ex-boyfriend has hurt her in so many ways. Anger boiled in his veins when he heard this. He wanted to kill this Orlando guy for hurting his Liv.

"Did you see him last night?" he asked softly. He cringed when she nodded her head. She pulled away long enough to take off her sunglasses and show him the black eye and bruises on her face. His blue eyes were wide open in horror at her appearance. He was getting more and more angry.

"Do you know where he lives?!" he asked, gritting his teeth.

"No! Please, don't hurt him. You're gonna make him even more upset if you do. Besides, he just got out of prison," she told him, looking frantic and worried.

"Liv, he's most likely gonna get his hands on you again. And if he does, I'm not gonna sit back and let it happen. I'm gonna make sure he never does this to you again!" he vowed. She didn't say another word; she just buried her face against his neck and continued to sob softly. He tightened his arms around her and offered words of comfort. Now that he knows what's been bothering her, he intends to protect her at all costs.

However, he also realized that he's head over heels in love with her.

X

**Apartment of Orlando Cane**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**April 25, 2008**

_Stupid bitch didn't have the courtesy to see me! I'll show her! _Orlando thought angrily as he nursed another bottle of beer in his hands. He was so upset and it showed, because he threw the bottle against the wall and watched it shatter into little pieces. He was beyond mad.

He was gonna make her pay. Oh, yeah, he was gonna make her pay for leaving him like a bitch in heat and for getting him locked up. He should've killed her while he had the chance, but what good would that do? Every single cop in New York City would go looking for his ass and beat him to a bloody pulp. He was getting a migraine from just thinking about it.

Either way it goes, he will get his revenge on her before it's said and done.

And that's for damn sure.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Olivia finally tells Elliot everything and then they run into Orlando at the bar, which leads to an all out brawl. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	4. Revealing her past

**Okay, wasn't 'Lunacy' a little bit wacky on Tuesday? And what about the ending? I was talking about it with my best friend and I told her hypothetically that James Brolin's character was the killer. Who knew it would turn out like that? And what about him checking out our Olivia? Had it not been for Elliot, she would ended up just like the dead astronaut. God, that was one messed up episode.**

**Okay, so a lot of you want to see Elliot kick Orlando's ass in this chapter and that's what you're gonna get. In the meantime, yes, as I mentioned before, EO will get together and if Olivia finally revealing her dark past to her partner/best friend was any indication, they will get more closer as the story rolls along.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**Olivia Benson's apartment**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 25, 2008**

Olivia and Elliot walked inside her apartment after a tense confrontation on the rooftop. Things were a little bit calmer once she revealed her ex-boyfriend was coming after her and that he attacked her last night as she was coming out of the club. Anger boiled in his veins because he couldn't believe this woman was hurt and he couldn't do anything to save her. Now that she let it all out, he was gonna do whatever it takes to make sure she was safe.

He sat down on the sofa as she went into the kitchen to get a couple of bottles of beer. If she was gonna tell him the whole story, she's gonna have to make sure he doesn't punch the wall or something. She hated being so vulnerable and desperate, but she needed him. She needed him now more than ever.

"Are you okay?" he called out to her.

"I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll be there in a second," she responded.

Olivia joined him in the living room a few minutes later with the bottle of beers in her hands. She sat them down on the table, then she just stood there for a second. Elliot reached over and grabbed her hand, for which she clutched it tightly.

"You don't have to explain right now. If you're not ready..." he whispered.

She shook her head. "No, I need to tell you. I've been hiding it for far too long. I thought I could handle it."

"Handle what, sweetheart?" he asked as he pulled her down on the sofa with it. She didn't look at him for a second because a single tear fell from her eye. God, this was gonna be harder than she thought.

"Seeing him again. Reliving everything that happened to me. Reliving how could I survive being hurt for so long," she chocked.

"Liv, baby, how did you meet him?" he asked softly.

Olivia cleared her throat. "Well, that's complicated. I knew Orlando since elementary school. He wasn't always so cruel to me. We were friends for a long time. Everything changed when we started junior high school. He started looking at me from a totally different perspective. I didn't think of him anymore than being a friend at the time, but he was so in love with me that he went through anyone to get me. I didn't like being pursued like some sex object, so I kindly started avoiding him, but he didn't take it too kindly."

"And that's when he started acting...cruel," Elliot said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah. He's been having some behavioral problems since he was a small child, but I didn't think it would escalate. Things weren't going so good at home between me and my mother, so I wasn't home pretty much. I would always stay with my friends. Orlando was becoming possessive at that point, too. He wouldn't rest until I agreed to go out with him and I mean, he wouldn't rest.. Finally, I gave in after I saw him beat the crap out of my male friends. Everything went downhill from there," Olivia explained.

"What happened?" he asked, still holding her hand.

She sighed. "When we got into high school, he was just out of control. I was so fucking scared of him, it wasn't even funny. He'd go crazy if any man looked at me. I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. I wasn't allowed to have friends. It was like having a cruel, sadistic, abusive father. He'd do whatever it takes to keep me under his control. I used to come to school everyday with bruises on my face. He didn't want anyone to know what he was hurting me."

"Liv, did he ever threaten you?" he asked in a frazzled tone.

"More on one occasion. It got to the point that he started getting paranoid. He believed that I told someone in order for me to get away from him. One time, I did, but that got me in more trouble with him."

"Oh, Liv, what did your mother do?" Elliot asked, looking said.

Tears started falling from her brown eyes. "What could she do? She was drunk off her ass and she didn't care about me. In her mind, I had it coming for a long time. That's why I stopped coming home. I couldn't handle living with her anymore. Things only got worse when I got engaged to one of her students."

Elliot quickly registered what she told him. A part of him wondered why he didn't know the brunette a lot sooner.

"When she found out, she threatened to get him kicked out if I didn't call off the engagement, but I told her I was moving out because I was tired of getting hurt. She was drinking that day and dropped a bottle of vodka on the floor. She came at me with the jagged edge of it and said, "I'll never let anyone else have you". And I kicked her. I never hurt her before, but I was scared for my life. I kicked her again and ran out of the apartment. I went to my fiance's home and told him what happened. He knew everything that happened between me, my mother and Orlando," she said, her voice cracking.

"How did Orlando manage to find you?" he asked softly.

"I went to school that day with bruises on my face. He cornered me at my locker. He was really pissed off. He called me a lying bitch because he believed I told someone about what he did. When I swore I didn't, he refused to believe me. He was about to hit me when a teacher interrupted us. That's when I got away from him.

I was sleeping at my fiance's home when I heard some commotion in the living room. I peeked through the door and shocked to see Orlando. He was beating the crap out of Jackson. I knew I had to get out of there, but just when I was about to, he pulled my hair and forced me back. He saw the engagement ring on my finger and went ballistic. He pulled it off my finger and threw it on the ground. Just when he was about to hit me, Jackson had enough strength to fight him off. I ran away and never looked back that night."

"But he still wouldn't leave you alone," Elliot stated.

Olivia nodded her head. "I could never get away from him. He knew where I live, he knew where I hung out. He knew where I was no matter what. He continued torturing me, even after I started college."

"How did he end up in prison?" he asked as he reached over and wrapped his strong arms around her. She laid her head against his chest and felt safe. She always feel safe whenever she's around him.

"I was just starting the police academy when he started hanging out with a bad crowd. He was expelled from school for pulling a fire alarm, so he lost his football scholarship and didn't go to college. Well, they went and robbed a liquor store uptown where I go to. Things didn't go well and when one of them saw the owner pulled out something that looked like a gun, he shot him. It didn't take the police long to apprehend the gang. I was devastated when I found out what happened because the owner was so sweet to me. Orlando wanted me to bail him out, but I wanted nothing to do with him at that point. I told him, over the phone, that I was done with him. He got 12-15 years for his troubles. I haven't seen or heard from him until last night," she explained quietly.

"Liv, I'm sorry. I had no idea," he told her honestly.

"You see why I took any case where a woman's been abused so personally? I lived it, I breathed it and I walked away from it," she said sadly.

Elliot kissed her forehead gently. "I'm so sorry to hear that, but I'm also proud of you. You got your control back. You were able to walk away from him. God, I think about this every single day of my life. If something like this happened to any of my girls, I don't know what to do."

Olivia smiled slightly. Telling Elliot about her past was a lot easier than she thought. She knew he would understand and be there for her. She was afraid that he'd treat her differently if she came out with it a lot sooner. She felt stronger because she was taking the first step in getting her life back on track.

And when the next time she sees Orlando, she's not gonna back down from him.

X

**Meloni's bar**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 26, 2008**

"God, I'm glad this day's over," Olivia groaned as she and Elliot walked inside the bar they most frequented at. It was a long day and they had to deal with another D.V. case. Only this time, it was upgraded to murder.

The seasoned detectives were called into Queens because a frantic 911 call revealed there's been a shooting at the home of 30-year-old Patricia Henderson. She's been physically and emotionally abused by her husband, George for the last four years when she finally had enough and decided to leave. But, her plans to walk away turned deadly when he pulled out a 12-gauge shotgun and shot her point blank in her chest. She died instantly.

Just seeing her laying in the pool of her own blood startled and frightened Olivia to no end. She wondered what would've happened if she was met with the same fate. Orlando had threatened to kill her on several different occasions and he almost made good on his word.

"I need a good, strong drink after what we had to deal with today. That was tough," Elliot said as they sat down at the bar.

"Just seeing Patricia on the floor scared me," she admitted softly.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "I know. It scared me, too."

"Well, well, well. It seems Olivia has found a new toy to play with," a certain someone taunted.

Elliot and Olivia looked over and saw Orlando sitting at the end of the bar, snickering and nursing a glass of whiskey.

"Leave me alone," she simply said.

"And miss this? I knew you were a fucking whore, but fucking your partner, that's a new low, even for you," Orlando raged.

Elliot had enough. He's not gonna sit there and allow this fucking fool to berate his partner/best friend any longer. He got up and stormed over to where Orlando was sitting and got right in his face.

"I suggest you take her advice and leave her alone," Elliot hissed angrily.

"You're not gonna do a damn thing, bitch. So I suggest you get out of my face," Orlando hissed back.

"See, that's the problem with men like you. You don't know when to leave well enough alone. I think you're a bitch for putting your hands on her. Yeah, she told me everything. And I think she's better off without you," Elliot boasted.

Orlando got upset. He pushed Elliot out of the way and went over to where Olivia was standing. He grabbed her by her arm and yanked her out of her seat.

"What the fucking were you thinking?!" he snapped.

"Let me go!" she screamed. Then she realized that she didn't have to take being used and abused anymore, so she snatched her arm away from him.

"Oh, so you think you're all tough now since you're a cop? Well, let me tell you something, Olivia: I look at you and I see the same lying, scared little bitch back in high school. And now you have this motherfucker helping you out? You're a fucking joke!" he sneered.

"You better leave or I will place you under arrest for assaulting a police officer. You did put your hands on my partner. And seeing that you're out on parole, it won't take the courts long to throw your ass right back in," Olivia said in a low voice.

Orlando laughed sarcastically for a moment before he raised his hand up and slapped her hard across her face. Elliot got angry and lunged at him, tackling him down on the ground and proceeding to beat the holy hell out of him. However, Orlando wasn't down for long. He came back with some vicious rights and lefts.

Olivia had tears in her eyes when she looked over her shoulder and saw Elliot and Orlando going at it like animals. She grew more afraid for Elliot because Orlando worked out while he was in prison and he definitely wasn't scrawny or pale. However, she also knew Elliot could hold his own and when she saw him gaining control and beating the holy hell out of Orlando.

But, she had to stop it. She went over and pulled Elliot off of her ex-boyfriend before the blue-eyed hunk killed him. He breathed heavily as he looked down at the damage he caused. You can say he made his point across.

"You come near her again and I'll do so much worse," he said as she pulled him outside.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, looking concerned.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for what I did. I couldn't control myself. And when I saw him hit you, I lost it," he told her.

"You know he's gonna be looking for you," she warned.

He sighed as he looked down at his bloodied knuckles. "I know. But, with his track record, the worst I'm gonna get is ass duty."

She just smiled. "Come on. Let me clean that up for you."

As they walked away, they didn't notice Orlando stumbling out of the bar, looking furious. He had big plans for them. Really big plans.

And they won't even expect it.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Elliot and Olivia grow closer as another domestic abuse case takes its toll on them, while Orlando goes to great lengths to seek revenge. Stay tuned!**

**And make sure to read 'More Than She Bargained For'.**

**Please review!**


	5. Getting closer

**Man, 'Retro' got to me last night. How could anyone believe that HIV doesn't cause AIDS?! I mean, am I missing something here? I was just horrified with the episode! And, I'm so upset because we have to wait another two weeks for new episodes to air. I mean, come on, I'm gonna vote and I know this presidential election is important, but I need to see my Elliot and Olivia!**

**Oh, and one more thing, I'm starting to respect this Kim chick, especially after last night. She went all gung-ho on that case. The one that really touched me was when she introduced the people who had HIV and are living proof that it's not a death sentence. **

**I'm working on a brand new EO story. It's similar to what I'm working now, but it's gonna be different. Be on the lookout for it really soon!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 27, 2008**

"I've got some bad news, guys. Henderson's lawyers is fighting on the murder charge. They're claiming that it was a crime of passion, not rage," Casey Novak, the ADA working on the case, said as she walked in the bullpen.

"Crime of passion?! That's the biggest load of bullshit I'd ever heard in my life!" Olivia exclaimed, looking angry.

"I know, Liv. Believe me, I was just as upset as you are when I found out about it. But, the good news is, we've got way too much on him. I know for sure the jury's gonna convict him. However, George's most likely gonna piss a lot of people off in order to escape the death penalty and/or get a long prison sentence. That's why I need you two to testify tomorrow," Casey told them.

"You know, I'm looking over his file and I can see why he's fighting on the murder charge. He's got a rap sheet that reads a mile long," Elliot countered, handing the file over to Olivia.

"I can't believe this. He did 20 years for conspiracy to commit murder, 10 years for attempted murder and he's got two assault convictions to his name. This goes back almost thirty years. He's about in his early fifties right now," Olivia read.

"The conspiracy one? Who he wanted dead?" Elliot asked curiously.

"He's been married twice before Patricia. He hired a hit man to kill his first wife and nearly choked her to death. He was briefly married to second wife while he was locked up, but she divorced him when he attacked her while she was visiting him," Olivia explained.

"I heard enough. I should be able to present this at trial," Casey said as she grabbed the file from Olivia and walked away. Elliot and Olivia got back to work just as a petite 25-year-old woman walked in with bruises on her face. She looked like she's been crying as well.

"Hi, may I help you?" a uniformed officer asked softly.

"I was told to come here if I wanted to report a sex crime," she said quietly.

"Benson, Stabler, you got one here," the officer called out as he placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. Olivia looked up and saw the woman standing with the officer. She stopped what she was doing, got up from her desk and went over to where they were standing.

"Hi, I'm detective Benson. How may I help you?" she asked in a caring tone.

"I'm here to report an assault. My name's Amber Pierce," she said.

"Okay, why don't you come over here and sit down. Would you something to drink?" Olivia asked as she sat the woman down next to her desk.

"May I have some water, please?" Amber asked softly. Olivia went over and got a cup of water for her, then she went back and handed it to her.

"Okay, honey, now I'm gonna take your statement. First off, state your full name," Olivia said as she sat down at her desk and pulled out her pen and pad.

"Ambrosia Marie Pierce," the woman said.

"Okay, so tell me what happened," Olivia stated firmly.

"I've been in an abusive relationship for seven years. My boyfriend's name is Kyle Harper. He was mean and cruel from the beginning. He'd hit me pretty much every single day, he follows me everywhere I go, he controls me, he calls me names and he'd allowed his friends to hurt me sometimes. I tried to leave on so many different occasions, but he had enough money to hire a private investigator to find me; and when he does, he's beat me some more. I became a prisoner in my own home. I was at my wit's end," Amber explained, wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"What happened today?" Olivia asked softly.

"H-he raped me after he beat me repeatedly. Told me I was nothing without him and nobody will want a stupid whore like me. He threatened to kill me if I leave and if I told anyone. I believed him because he owns several guns at the house. He even pointed a .44 caliber at me once," Amber told the detective.

"Okay, sweetheart, can you tell me where he is right now?" Olivia asked, getting angry.

"Here's the thing. There's another reason why I'm so scared of him: he's a big time drug dealer. He'd be gone for days at a time, but when he does comes back home, he'd hurt me," Amber broke down and cried.

"What's his name again?" Olivia asked softly.

"Kyle Harper," Amber revealed.

"Okay, you're doing great. Now, tell me where you live," Olivia said as she placed her hand on Amber's shoulder.

"128 Fulton Street. I live in Harlem."

"Do you have any family? Any relatives?" Olivia asked with a somber look on her face.

"No. I came from an abusive household. Both of my parents abused and neglected me. I've been on my own since they abruptly kicked me out 9 years ago," Amber said sadly.

After a few more questions, Olivia recommended that Amber stay in a women's shelter for the time being. Olivia realized that finding Amber's abusive, drug dealing boyfriend was gonna be a tough act to follow because he has the tendency to pull a disappearance act days at a time; plus, she was wondering if he had any priors. Another case was taking its toll on her and she didn't like it one bit.

"Liv, are you ready to go?" Elliot called out to her.

She looked at him and smiled slightly. "I'm ready. Just let me get my jacket."

The blue eyed hunk was satisfied with her answer. Even since she finally told him what happened to her two night ago, he was determined to protect her at all costs. Furthermore, he was surprised he didn't get any disciplinary action from Cragen or the brass after his fight with Orlando last night.

Orlando Cane. That's the one name he shouldn't be thinking about. He hated the man. Really hated him. He hated him for hurting his Liv and leaving her so broken. Even though she managed to walk away from him, he just had to come back to make her life a living hell. He wanted to kill him for putting her through so much hell and then had the audacity to attack her right in front of him. That alone sent him over the edge.

"El, are you okay?" Olivia asked, looking at her partner in confusion.

He snapped out of his trance and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" she asked curiously as they walked out of the precinct.

"You probably don't wanna hear this, but I've been thinking about you," he admitted.

"Really? I hope you're not feeling sorry for me," she stated firmly.

"What?! I don't feel sorry for you. What gave you that impression that I did?" he asked in a shocking tone.

"Because I told you everything about me," she said softly, turning her head away from him.

He had enough. As they stepped outside, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a secluded alley where they can be alone. He felt his heart break at the sight of his partner/best friend breaking down right in front of him.

"Liv, baby, listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You're not at fault. If anyone's at fault, it's that fool who was stupid enough to put his hands on you and treat you like you were nothing. But, you're not nothing. You're a strong, beautiful, caring woman. I'm so honored to call you my partner and best friend. We've got each other's back. So, no, I don't feel pity for you. If anything, I admire you more for being so strong," he assured her. She couldn't take it anymore. She sobbed on his shoulder, something she never did before. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm sorry I made you feel like you're an invalid," she sniffed.

"Nonsense. I'll always be here for you," he told her.

She pulled away and began to blush when she saw the wetness on his blue shirt.

"I'm sorry I ruined your shirt," she told him sheepishly.

He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head up so she can look at him. He had the warmest smile on his handsome face, which made her blood boil with desire. She didn't know what it was, but she realized that she was falling deeply in love with her partner.

"Don't apologize. I'm glad to lend a shoulder for you to cry on," he soothed, making her heart beat faster. Without warning, he leaned down and slanted his lips on her softly. She was shocked of what he just did, but after the shock wore off, she felt her eyes closed with delight and she found herself pressing herself closer to him. God, they never wanted this moment to end.

Unfortunately, reality intervened. They slowly pulled apart and just looked at each other. They still were trying to comprehend what just happened, but they liked it. They liked it a lot.

"Liv, I wasn't trying to take advantage of you," Elliot assured her.

Olivia smiled slightly. "I know. But, I liked it."

"Me, too. We'll talk about this more later. Right now, we have to find Amber's boyfriend."

As they headed towards their car, they failed to notice a certain someone stepping out of the shadows. He was watching them the whole time with a furious look on his face. He was angry because Olivia had moved on from him. No one moves on from him. He was still determined to get revenge against her, but now, he's gonna step his game by getting rid of her partner.

And he knows exactly how to do it, too.

X

**Olivia Benson's apartment **

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 28, 2008**

Sleeping peacefully, Olivia kept thinking about the kiss she shared with Elliot earlier. She felt like a teenage girl making out with the high school quarterback and she was excited. However, she was scared of getting into another relationship because one, they were partners at work and two, her ex-boyfriend was coming after her. Even though she kept it cool on the surface, deep down inside, she was scared as hell. And that's something she shouldn't be feeling.

Tossing and turning all over the bed, she got comfortable on the bed when the phone rang. Groaning with annoyance, she looked over her shoulder and groaned even louder at the time. Who would call her at 3:30 in the morning? She reached over on the night table and picked up her cordless phone.

"Hello?" she answered groggily.

"_Hello, Olivia. Thinking about me?" _Orlando asked in a menacing tone.

"No. I'm hanging up," she flat out told him.

"_Don't you hang up on me, you stupid bitch!" _he barked.

"Listen, Orlando, when I told you I wanted nothing to do with you anymore, I meant it. Take a fucking hint or something."

"_Since when you've become so high and fucking mighty?! You're still the same scared little bitch I remembered back in high school. You'll be back with me before you know it. It's only a matter of time," _he snarled.

"Orlando, get it through your big fucking head: I NEVER WANTED TO BE WITH YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE!! You forced me to be with you after you beat the crap out of a friend of mine. I never loved you. So, do me a big fucking favor and leave me alone!" she screamed before she slammed the phone down. She leaned back against the mattress and sighed deeply. God, she didn't know how long she's gonna be able to handle it. Orlando was working her last nerves. She meant what she said.

However, she realized that her ex wasn't done with her. No, as far as Orlando is concerned, he's just getting started.

And that scared her the most.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Elliot's personal life intertwines with his professional life when Orlando starts targeting his family in order to get to Olivia. In the meantime, Elliot and Olivia finally reveal their long-awaited feelings for each other as another domestic abuse case weighs heavily on them. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	6. Attacking the children

**Well, I'm in such a good mood that I decided to put in a new chapter for you today. And the reason why I'm in such a good mood is because I didn't go to sleep until 4:00 this morning. History has been made here in the United States. We have a brand new president and he's gonna bring change to us. Me, my mother and my brother laughed and cried because it was such a historic night. I still can't get over it.**

**In the meantime, I can't wait until 'Babes' next week. And I hope there's not another two week gap because I can't take it anymore. I want more EO! We want more EO!**

**One more thing: I did mention that something bad will happen to Olivia as the story rolls along. And, when I mean something bad will happen to her, I mean something bad will really happen!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

"Great news, guys. Guilty on all counts in the Henderson case," Alex beamed when she walked in and saw Elliot and Olivia grossed in paperwork.

"Really? In that short amount of time? How did you and Casey do it, Lexi?" Olivia asked, looking shocked.

"It didn't take much to begin with. It was a slam dunk case. Henderson's lawyer was trying to go for a deal, but George's two previous wives came forward and told the jury everything; and I mean, _everything. _It didn't take them that long to reach a verdict," Alex explained, smiling triumphantly.

"So, what's gonna happen to him?" Elliot asked, not looking up because he was still engrossed with paperwork.

"Well, as Casey probably told you, he's more likely to piss a lot of people off in order to avoid the death penalty or even a long prison sentence. His lawyer fought me tooth and nail to beat this, but he didn't succeed," Alex said with a small smile on her face.

"Great work, Counselor," Elliot said, smiling.

Alex left, which left the dynamic duo back to their paperwork. Truth be told, things have been a little awkward between them since they kissed yesterday, more awkwardness coming from Olivia because she felt something she never felt with anyone else.

Love.

And it scared her to death. But she was so tired of running from it.

Elliot, on the other hand, felt like a little kid in a candy store because he finally kissed the woman of his dreams. However, he wanted to kick himself because he felt like he was taking advantage of her when she's feeling down and out concerning her ex-boyfriend making her life a living hell and the cases that have taken a toll on her. He hated seeing her so dejected.

In the meantime, finding Amber's boyfriend has proven to be a tough act to follow; mainly because as the victim mentioned yesterday, he's a major drug dealer who has the tendency to disappear days at a time and when he does come home, he hurt her even more. Furthermore, Fin informed them that there's a big drug turf war over in Harlem, which Kyle happened to be apart of, so that's another reason why he's almost never home. So, as promised, Olivia took Amber to go live at a shelter after they came from the hospital so she won't be alone. No matter how long it takes, they were gonna find him.

"Liv, are you okay?" Elliot whispered.

Olivia looked up and gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, El. Why do you ask?"

"It's just...of what happened yesterday," he replied softly.

"Elliot, do you regret kissing me?" she asked, trying so hard not to break down and cry.

"What?! No! I don't. It's just that I felt like I was taking advantage of you," he admitted.

"Because of my situation with Orlando and the cases we're working on, right? El, I'm perfectly fine; although, that kiss was nice and sweet," she smiled.

"Liv, um, if you want to, would you like to go on a date with me when all of this blows over?" he asked nervously.

Olivia felt like she wanted to jump up and down and scream out in excitement. She wanted to go all the way to the Empire State building and scream 'yes' so many times. She wanted to run over to him, wrap her arms around him and kiss him until both of them was breathless. She felt like a high school cheerleader scoring the date of a lifetime with the quarterback of the football team. After years of disastrous dates, broken hearts and countless meaningless one-night stands, Elliot Stabler, her partner, best friend and the man she had loved for a long time has finally asked her out on a date.

"If you don't want to, I understand. You're going through so much right now and the last thing you need..." he said, but she cut him off.

"I'd love to," she said with a grin on her face.

"Really? You would?!" he asked in a surprising tone.

"Yes. We don't have to work this weekend, so how about picking me up at six and we can go out to a dinner and movie? I'm a simple girl and I like simple things," she suggested with a smile.

"It's a date, then," he replied with his famous shit-eating grin. However, their good mood was dampened when Cragen came out of his office with several files in his arms.

"Benson, Stabler, you two have another case. I'm afraid the Harper case has been put on the back burner for the time being," Cragen said with a solemn look on his face.

"What do we have this time?" Olivia asked with a groan.

"27-year-old Natasha Reynolds was found nearly beaten to death in her apartment by two of her neighbors. I need you two to go to Brooklyn Heights and find out what's going on," Don said as he handed the file over to him. Elliot and Olivia looked at each other for a second before they grabbed their jackets and left. Just another day of being a detective.

However, they had no idea of the danger and unexpected tragedy that lay awaits them.

X

**Stabler residence**

**Queens, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

Orlando sat in his parked car, right across the street from the Stabler home. He was seething impatiently because he knew Elliot wasn't home, but he came anyway to get some more information on him. He was upset because the blue eyed hunk didn't get punished for what he did to him at the bar a couple of nights ago. His intention was to get Olivia back, but everything was ruined and he wanted to kill Elliot.

If he ever knew that Elliot and Olivia were together, he'd go on a rampage and then some. Olivia was his and there's nothing anyone could to do to change it. He's been waiting a long time to get his hands on her, to make her pay for what she did to him, but now that she has some serious backup, he has to go a different route to get her back for what she put him through.

And what better way to do that is by hurting Elliot Stabler, her partner?

Orlando did some research and found that Elliot lives here with his four children. His wife took off with another man after it was revealed that Eli Stabler was not Elliot's. Orlando was pleased with what he found and decided to put his plan into motion.

He reached into the backseat of his car and grabbed his .38 revolver. If he was gonna hurt Elliot in order to get Olivia back, he was gonna do it right. After checking to make sure everything was in order, he put it in his pocket and got out of the car. Jogging across the street, he had a sinister smile on his face. He was gonna teach Elliot not to mess with Orlando Cane.

He went up on the steps and knocked on the front door. He waited for a moment before someone answered.

"Who is it?" a female voice asked.

"Hi. My name is Chris. I was wondering if your father was home. I would like to speak to him for a moment," Orlando said with a wicked smile on his face.

"No, he's not," the woman said nonchalantly.

"Well, can I use your phone and call him, then?" he asked, another wicked smile appeared on his face.

"No, you can't. I'll let him know you came by," the woman said before she walked away.

He was angry. Really angry. That was not his plan. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his gun, then he raised his foot and kicked the door open.

"What the hell?!" the woman screamed. The next thing she knew, she was knocked down on the floor.

"Should've opened the door and let me in, you bitch," he sneered as he pointed the gun at her.

"I'm not allowed to open the door to strangers!" she screeched.

"Oh, because you're Elliot's daughter, Maureen?" he snickered.

"H-how do you know my name?" she sobbed. God, she's never been so scared in her life.

"I know everything about you and your siblings. Tell me something, do you know Olivia Benson?" Orlando asked menacingly.

"We all know Olivia! What's it to you?!" she snapped.

"She's my girlfriend. I don't appreciate your father putting the moves on her. He stuck his nose in my business where it doesn't belong!" Orlando raged.

"Please, just leave me alone. Why are you doing this? I have nothing to do with it," Maureen begged and pleaded. She may be a Stabler, but she's a woman and she was so scared.

He laughed hysterically before he raised his hand up and slapped her hard across her face. Maureen got up and started to run when she felt something tear against her shoulder. She looked down and was horrified to see blood. Her blood.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy. The amount of blood that she was losing was beginning to be too much to take. Before long, she collapsed on the floor in the dining room.

Orlando smiled as he put his gun back in his pocket. He was about to leave when the other Stabler children arrived. They saw him standing in the living room with weird looks on their faces. Where was Maureen?

"Who are you?" Dickie asked when he stepped inside.

"I'm looking for your father. Have you seen him?" Orlando asked, acting like nothing happened.

"He's at work, sir. Why are you in our house unannounced? And where's my sister?" Kathleen demanded.

"She had to take care of something. If you want, I can help you find her," Orlando suggested with a sick smile on his face.

"Please leave," Lizzie said as she pushed past him and started looking for Maureen when the familiar sound of a gun being cocked.

"Now, I've been very nice, but now you're starting to piss me off. Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time; where's your father?!" Orlando seethed.

Dickie, being the only boy in the clan, realized that something bad must've happened to Maureen because Lizzie came out of the dining room crying hysterically.

"She's been shot! He did it!" Lizzie cried.

Anger boiled in Dickie's veins. Without warning, he lunged at the adult and tackled him down on the ground. Kathleen was on the phone calling 911 and she could hear the commotion going on in the other room. She clutched the phone in her hands and tried so hard not to cry.

"Please hurry. I believe he has a gun and my youngest sister found my oldest sister in the dining room," Kathleen sobbed.

"_Okay, honey, stay on the line. Help should be on its way as we speak," _the operator assured the blonde.

Orlando was upset because someone smaller than him was beating the shit out of him. Suddenly, sirens could be heard from a mile away. He had to get out of there before he ends up back in jail and that's the last thing he wants to happen. He raised his hands up and pushed Dickie off of him, then he quickly got up and ran out of there. Dickie was just as quick, though, because he was right behind him within seconds.

However, when he got outside, Orlando was nowhere to be found. By then, police cars and the ambulance was coming down the street. Sighing deeply, he quickly went back inside to check on his siblings.

_Dad, we need you, _he thought frantically as he ran back in the house.

X

**Apartment of Natasha Reynolds and Christopher Carson**

**Brooklyn Heights, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

"God, I've seen a lot of women get beaten, but not like this," Olivia whispered as she looked around the living room. When they arrived at the apartment, they were horrified at the sight before them. As they were coming in, Natasha was being wheeled out on a stretcher. She was completely disfigured from head to toe, but she was breathing on her own and she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Furthermore, Benson and Stabler quickly arrested Christopher when he came home, but it was a struggle to get him in the car.

For one, he struggled to break free and two, when he saw Natasha being wheeled out, he attempted to lunge at her. Finally, Elliot had to tackle him. That was hard.

"Her boyfriend really did a number on her. It's almost like she was set on fire," she said, trying so hard not to break down and cry.

He noticed her trying not to cry, so he decided to something that was completely unprofessional; he went over to where she was standing and wrapped his strong arms around her. He kissed her forehead gently and rested his chin on top of her head.

"I'm trying, El. God, I'm really trying but I'm sick of this. I'm sick of having to come to someone's home and find a woman nearly beaten to death. Every single time I'd come across them, I have to relieve what happened to me. And, then, Orlando's coming after me," she sobbed on his shoulder.

"Honey, those women don't deserve being treated like punching bags; including you. Some of them don't make it out those type of relationships alive because the men can't handle being dumped and rejected. You did. You were strong enough to walk away. Liv, baby, you may not wanna hear this, but I love you. I loved you from the moment I first saw you. And, as far as Orlando's concerned, he's not stupid to come after you, especially since you got me," he assured her.

She raised her head up and looked at him. All he has to do is remind her of how great and strong she was and she'd feel better.

"I-I love you, too. You know, I thought you thought of me like a sister or something," she confessed.

"Really? Because I've been having these...improper thoughts about you," he grinned, wagging his eyebrows playfully.

"Get back to work, Stabler," she laughed as she pushed him away, but then Elliot's cell started ringing. He groaned as he reached inside his pocket and pulled it out, then he snapped it open.

"Stabler. We're currently canvassing the apartment. W-what? When? Oh my God! I'll be right there," he said, his voice cracking as he snapped his phone shut. Olivia stopped what she was doing and noticed the sudden change in her partner; his shoulder slumped and it looked like he was getting ready to collapse.

"El, is everything okay?" she asked as she went over to where he was standing and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at her with tears in his eyes, something that rarely happened to him. He looked like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest.

"Liv, can you take me to Mercy?" he choked.

"Sure, but what's going on?" she asked more forcefully.

"M-my children were attacked at home. Maureen's in the hospital. She's been shot," he cracked.

Olivia felt a huge blow in her heart when she heard the news. God, could this get any worse?

**Coming up in the next chapter: At the hospital, Elliot's children tells him what happened at the house and Olivia is viciously attacked, leaving her with an injury that could change her life forever! Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	7. The unthinkable happens

**Okay, so last night's episode didn't held my interest as much, but it was still good. But, hold on to your hats. Did you see the previews for next week's episode? Elliot gets SHOT!! I was shocked when I saw it and I hope and pray that he comes out of it alive. And did you see Olivia crying? Oh, God, my heart broke when I saw her. That lets you know how much EO needs each other. And I'm gonna display that as the story rolls along because, as I mentioned before something happens to Olivia that could change her life forever.**

**One more thing, someone suggested if I bring Olivia's former fiancé in the mix to make it more juicer. Well, thank's for the idea because I'm planning on putting it to good use. So be on the lookout for him right now.**

**And, don't worry. I'm planning on updating on 'More Than She Bargained For' sometime this week. I just needed to come up with a few ideas, that's all.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Peterson residence**

**Atlanta, Georgia**

**April 29, 2008**

"_The daughter of a New York City police officer was shot in her own home just hours ago. The woman, now being identified as Maureen Stabler was home alone when the attack happened. At least two witnesses said a man dressed in black kicked the door open and barged right inside. In the meantime, the woman's siblings were just coming home and that's when they found the man standing in their living room. If you have any information on this man, please contact Manhattan's Special Victims Unit at the number on the bottom of the screen..."_

As soon as Orlando's picture was shown, Jackson was shocked. Literally shocked. After all this time, he resurfaced and he hasn't changed a damn thing. He felt sick to his stomach. The last time he had a run in with Orlando was the day he found Olivia at his home. He did everything he could to protect his then-fiancee, but it wasn't enough. Orlando Cane managed to sink his claws into Olivia once again. He took her away and never looked back. Jackson never forgave him.

At lot has happened since he graduated from college and left New York altogether. He moved down to Atlanta, found a good job at as advertising firm and got married. His wife was currently pregnant with their first child. He should be happy, but a nagging voice told him to help his former flame. He knew, deep down inside that Orlando was coming after her. He felt he had to do something.

Thank God his boss is sending him on a business trip. He was currently in his room packing his bags. If anything, he hoped to be in New York no later than tomorrow morning. He was on a mission. He needs to warn them of what Orlando's planning next.

However, even he won't be prepared of what Orlando has in store.

"Honey, are you okay?" his pregnant wife asked as she walked into the bedroom.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I'm not looking forward to going on this trip," he said, which was partially the truth.

"I wish you didn't have to go, either. I'm due to give birth very soon and I want you here," she complained.

He went over to where she was standing and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead gently and sighed.

"I don't wanna go, either, Beverly. Believe me, I would rather stay here with you, honey. But, this trip could get me that much needed promotion," he reminded her.

"I know. And I'm proud of you. I just want you here," Beverly said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

_Olivia needs my help, _he thought.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

"I can't believe this has happened. You think this would never happen to one of your own, but it has. When I find who shot my baby, I'm gonna choke the life out of him," Elliot vowed with tears streaming down his blue eyes. He was standing outside of Maureen's room, trying to catch his breath. When he heard of what happened, he dropped everything and ran as fast as his feet would let him go. Fortunately, Olivia was there to take him.

"El, I don't know what to say. I know she's gonna be alright. After all; she's a Stabler through and through. She'll make it," Olivia tried to soothe him.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "I know she'll pull through, but I'm still in shock. I'm gonna kill whoever hurt my little girl."

"I want him, too. But, don't let your emotions get the best of you. Right now, they need you. Your children need you," she told him.

"You're right. Besides, maybe they'll be calm enough to tell me what happened," he replied softly. He pulled her in his strong arms and kissed her forehead one more time.

"I love you, Liv," he whispered, which made her smile against his well defined chest. She'll never get tired of hearing those words.

"I love you, too. Now, go. I'll go back to the station and tell Cragen what's going on," she told him as they pulled apart.

"Are you sure you can go by yourself?" he asked, looking frantic.

"El, I'll be fine. I'm Olivia Benson, remember?" she told him with another smile on her face.

"Okay, but please be careful," he said as he leaned over and kissed her passionately.

"I will," she said as they pulled apart. She turned on her heel and left, leaving him standing in front of Maureen's room. He closed his eyes and felt a cold rush of air whisk at him. With everything that's going on; Olivia's ex resurfacing, case after case of domestic abuse taking its toll on him and now his children being attacked. It was too much. He needs something to reduce stress of some kind.

Placing his hand on the door, he pushed it open and walked inside. He saw Dickie and Lizzie sitting on the right side of the bed and Kathleen sitting on the left, holding Maureen's hand.

"Are you all okay?" he whispered.

"We're fine. It's Maureen we're worried about," Kathleen said softly.

"I just spoke with the doctor. She's gonna be fine. I'm gonna find out who did this, but in order for me to do it, I need you to tell me what happened," Elliot said sternly.

"Okay. Well, we were coming home when a man was standing in the living room. I don't know how he got in, because we figured Maureen didn't let him in. I looked over and saw the lock was broken, which means he kicked the door open. He kept asking where you were while Lizzie looked for Maureen. She came back into the living room crying hysterically. That's when we knew something was wrong," Kathleen explained.

"The man pulled out his gun and kept asking for you. I couldn't let him hurt someone else so I jumped him. He heard the sirens and pushed me off him. I went after him but he was long gone," Dickie jumped in.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Elliot asked.

"I was lucky to have my camera phone with me. I was able to get a good shot of him," Lizzie said as she pulled out of phone and handed it to her father. He clicked on it and when he saw the photo, his anger grew even higher.

Orlando Cane was in his house, with his children!

He was beyond angry. He was gonna kill him!

"Lizzie, I'll give this back to you. I'm going back to the station to put out an APB on this guy," Elliot said through gritted teeth.

"Daddy, are you coming back?" Kathleen asked, looking frantic.

"I'll be back," he simply said before he stepped out into the hallway. He could barely breathe when he saw the photo so he ran out of the hospital as fast as his feet would let him go. Once he got outside, he screamed at the top of his lungs. His heart was beating madly and he wanted nothing more than to punch something. This time, Orlando has gone much too far. Going after Olivia was one thing, but attacking his children, his own flesh and blood, that's sinking into a new low.

Elliot knew one thing, though. He doesn't care about his job or his well being. He cares about hurting Olivia's ex in the worst way possible.

Oh, yeah, he was that damn angry!

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

"How's Stabler, Liv?" Fin asked when he saw her walk in.

She sighed. "He's a ticking time bomb, but he's hanging in there."

"Well, I'm glad you're back. I just wanna let you know that we found Natasha's boyfriend. He was hiding at a seedy motel in Brooklyn," he told her.

"What about Natasha?" she asked, not really caring about the case anymore, but she did care whether the young woman will make it or not.

"She's fine. She regained consciousness, so she was able to tell us what happened," he replied.

"Well, at least she's gonna live another day. Well, we can go back to finding Amber's boyfriend," she sighed as she flopped down at her desk.

"That's another thing I need to inform you. She won't have to worry about him hurting her anymore. He's dead," he told her.

Olivia was surprised. "Dead? How did that happen?"

"Remember I told you there was a drug turf war going on in Harlem, which Kyle's apart of. Apparently, he got on the wrong side of a rival drug dealer. His body was found in an alley right behind an apartment complex early this morning," he explained.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back against the chair. There was no sense for her to stay any longer. She was tired and she needed a good night's sleep. Furthermore, she did all her paperwork, so she got up, grabbed her jacket and her bag and walked out of the precinct with a yawn escaping her mouth. As she was walking downstairs, she reached inside her pocket and pulled out her cell phone after she heard it ring.

"Benson," she answered.

"_Hey, baby. How are things going?" _Elliot asked on the other line.

"Fine. Are you okay? Are you still at the hospital?" she asked softly.

"_No. I'm driving around. Listen, Liv, my kids told me what happened and you're not gonna believe what I found out."_

"Did they tell you who attacked them?"

"_Yes. Liv....it was Orlando. Lizzie got a picture of him off her camera phone."_

Olivia felt like she's been slapped silly. Orlando was in her partner's house?! He attacked Elliot's children?! What the hell was he thinking?!

"El...I'm sorry, I'm really am," she said, her voice cracking.

"_You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. Nothing. If anyone's gonna be sorry, it's gonna be him when I get my hands on him. I didn't think he would go too far. I mean, my God, my children are innocent. And he's coming after you, too. I'm losing my sanity here."_

"El, everything's gonna be okay, you hear me? Everything's gonna be okay. I'll tell you what; why don't I go and grab us some dinner and we can meet back at my place," she suggested.

"_Are you sure? I mean, I would love to, but he's still out there and there's no telling the next time you'll run into him again. He's not gonna rest until he has you again."_

"I'm sure. And don't worry; I have my gun with me. If he tries something, I'll be prepared. I'm not the same scared little girl he knew in high school anymore. I'm Olivia Benson, tough-as-nails-detective. I'll be fine. You need me and I need you."

"_Okay, I'll be there soon. I'm sending the photo over to CSU. I love you, baby," _Elliot said, his voice cracking.

She smiled. "I love you, too. I'll see you in a little while."

She put her phone back in her pocket just as she stepped out into the parking lot. It was dark outside, but she looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her. She learned a long time ago to be on guard at all times, especially at night. There were crazy people lurking in the darkness and she didn't wanna take any chances. Even though she's a cop, she's also a woman and she's prone to be vulnerable a lot.

As she dug in her bag to pull out her keys, she failed to notice a certain figure lurking in the shadows. He smiled evilly because he finally got her where he wants her. For so long, she had hurt him, injured him, ridiculed and humiliated her. For years, he controlled her, manipulated her and treated her like she was crap. But, now, he was angry, outraged and irate. She had hurt him so badly. It was time for her to pay.

He moved quickly and quietly just as she opened the door to her car. She was about to climb in when she felt her hair being pulled roughly. A scream escaped her lips, but she wasn't about to be manhandled. She had a good idea of who ambushed her and she wanted to kick herself for not being more prepared. With all of her strength, she started fighting back.

Orlando was angry. Really angry. So angry that he drew his fist back and punched her so hard in her face. Blood gushed out of her mouth, but that was the least of her worries. She was still fighting back. She wasn't about to give up.

Uncontrollable rage ran through his veins as he looked at her. The same woman who hurt him a long time go was doing it again. Gripping her head tightly, he smashed her face against the window of her car.

More and more blood started spurting out of her face as she collapsed on the ground. Still enraged, he pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger, shooting her several times.

By the time he was done, he was satisfied with his work. He took off in the dead of night, leaving her to die.

And, the ironic thing is, he's just getting started. He's planning on hurting her like the way she hurt him!

**Coming up in the next chapter: Jackson arrives in New York and quickly learns what Orlando did to Olivia. Meanwhile, Elliot's world is shattered when shocking news about Olivia's condition comes to light, leaving him to question if being a detective is worth it. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	8. What will he do now?

**Okay, so who saw the scene with Elliot and Olivia all hugged up for a brief time this past Tuesday? I mean, even though it was quick, I know every single dude in the world was drooling when they saw Olivia in her bra? Truthfully, I thought there should've been more, but what can we say or do about it? I can see why everyone's jumped on doing a story about it, LOL. And, if you wanna see what really happened, go over to SVU fiction because someone put a story out on what would happen if Elliot and Olivia really had to go through with it. It's pretty intense.**

**Now, as I mentioned in the last chapter, Elliot will begin to question whether he can continue to work after receiving some really bad news concerning Olivia's condition. And, yes, Jackson makes another appearance and, in the next chapter, he got some interesting things to say concerning Olivia and Orlando.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

Running like a madman, Elliot searched from floor to floor, wondering where the love of his life was. He was sweating, panting and apparently out of breath but he didn't stop. He wasn't gonna stop until he finds her and find out what the hell just happened. He's been standing outside of her apartment building for over an hour and wondered where Olivia was coming home or not. He was about to get into his car and start looking for her when he got that dreaded phone call from Cragen, informing that Olivia was viciously attacked in the parking lot and was on her way to Mercy General. He went through every single stop light and turned every single corner to get there. His heart pounded furiously in his chest when he heard the news.

He was determined to find out who did this. He had a pretty good idea it was her ex, but for right now, his biggest concern is to make sure his girlfriend, best friend and partner was okay. He hoped and prayed that she will turn out okay, because if she doesn't there will be hell to pay and whoever did this will feel the wrath of Elliot Stabler.

To make matters worse, in the mist of finding out about his girlfriend's brutal attack, he ended up catching another D.V./homicide case and he's gonna have to carry the load alone, which sucked big time. He couldn't possibly think about a case at a time like this. He couldn't handle it anymore.

Elliot stopped in his tracks when he saw Casey pacing around in the lobby. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes because that's all he can do at this point.

"Elliot, I'm so glad you made it," Casey said, looking sad. She had tears in her eyes, which wasn't surprising because her best friend was laying in a hospital bed; bloody, battered, shot and bruised.

"Did you find out anything?" he asked with bated breath.

"Not yet. We're still waiting. She's still in emergency. Everything happened so fast," she said, lowering her head in sorrow.

"I don't understand this. She was fine when I spoke to her on the phone earlier and now she's laying in there. It's all my fault. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to her and I let her down. I let her down, which means I let myself down," Elliot said sadly. He tried not to break down and cry.

Casey placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault, El. You had no way of knowing what would happen."

"But, I did. I did know. And now she may never recover because I wasn't there. She told me everything and we even saw the bastard," he huffed.

"She told you about her ex, Orlando? I believe he did this, too," Casey realized.

"And now he's still on the run while she's fighting for her life. I'm telling you right now; the next time I see him, I'm gonna rip his fucking heart out and maybe I'll feed it to the dogs," Elliot declared, now looking upset. He didn't know what came over him, but he was so mad now that he wanted to hit something.

Just then, the doctor came out and had a somber look on her face. She didn't know how to break the news to them, but it had to be done.

"Doc, how is she?" Elliot asked frantically.

Doctor Jennifer Irvine sighed. "We stopped the bleeding and we did everything we could, but I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

The blue eyed hunk had to hold in his breath because he knew the inevitable was about to happen.

"What bad news?" he asked frantically.

"Mr. Stabler, one of the bullets nicked an artery, her spinal cord was also nicked and she suffered a serious head injury when her head was smashed against the window. Furthermore, she still have some injuries from the past," she explained.

"So, what are you saying?" he asked slowly and clearly.

"I'm afraid Ms. Benson may never see or walk again. I'm sorry," she told him with a somber look on her face.

Elliot froze. He couldn't feel anything but numbness. His mind went blank. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He didn't wanna believe it. All he could hear was the love of his life, his best friend and his partner may never see or walk again. Orlando really had done it this time. He really broke her. The asshole finally got what he wanted. He got his revenge against her.

With his head hung low and tears falling from his beautiful blue eyes, he walked away. He had to get away from there before he'll end up doing something he will regret. He had to breathe. He had to think about what he's gonna do now.

It was all he can do.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

The mood at the one six was deafening and horrid. No one moved, no one made a sound, no one did anything. It was silence; pure silence.

It's because they heard the horrible news from Elliot moments ago and, quite frankly, they were in complete shock and disbelief. Detective Olivia Benson was now fighting for her life.

For the first time in their lives, no one did anything. They didn't care about a case, paperwork or even going to court. They didn't care about anything. It was like the one six had no life anymore. Olivia was a great cop, awesome friend, trusted confidant. Now, that was ripped from them in the worst way possible.

That is, until someone came in, looking frantic and looking for someone to talk to. From the way he looked, he's from out of town.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" Chester asked, trying to look professional as possible.

"Yes, my name is Jackson Peterson. I used to live here a long time ago, but I had since moved," Jackson said.

"Are you hear to report a crime?" Lake asked, looking suspicious.

"In a way, yes. I watched the news on my way up here and I heard that Olivia Benson was attacked. Is that true?" Jackson asked, looking frantic.

"Yes, but how do you know her name?" Chester asked. If he has to, he's gonna collar this man if he turns out to be a stalker.

"We were engaged," Jackson said without hesitation.

_This is gonna be interesting, _Chester said as he lead Jackson to the interview room. He knew he had some questions and he was determined to find out what this man had to say.

And, with this man's help, they could find the man who attacked her as well.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

Orlando had to make sure he wasn't seen because he knew sooner or later, he will be seen and heard. And the last thing he needs is go back to jail for a long time. Being in jail, first of all, sucked. He was told when to eat, when to sleep, when to wake up, when to work and everything else. To make matters worse, he wasn't allowed to make phone calls or write letters to anyone from the outside. He became a caged animal.

And he has one person to blame.

Olivia Benson.

The woman who ruined his life and left him without a care in the world.

Well, needless to say, he made her pay, big time.

However, he knew the heat was on and so he came here to take care of the situation once and for all. He had to take care of her before it's too late. He knew as soon as she was able to wake up, she'll be screaming his name and that's something he don't want to happen. No, his ex-girlfriend had to DIE!

Pushing the door open, he smiled evilly as he saw Olivia looked lifeless on the bed. She had no chance of fighting back this time. And he was gonna make sure of it.

He snuck over to the bed and thought about what he was gonna do to the brunette. Then, an idea hit him. Why didn't he think of this before? He reached over and grabbed a pillow from right under her head. After fluffing it a few times, he started lowering it right to her face, the evil smile never leaving his face. This was even better than when he shot her and smashed her head against the window of her car. He knew the time has come.

However, just as he was placing the pillow over her face, the door opened.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the man barked.

Orlando looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see Elliot Stabler standing at the doorway, looking so mad that his veins were about to pop out. Nerves of fear started eating at him.

"I asked you a fucking question! What the hell are you doing?!" Elliot barked again.

Suddenly, Orlando smiled. "I'm doing something I should've done a long time ago. I'm taking out Olivia once and for all!"

"Over my dead fucking body! You hurt my kids and you hurt my partner; now I'm gonna fucking hurt you!" Elliot roared as he barged inside and proceeded to tackle him down to the ground. Orlando didn't have time to react as the blue eyed detective proceeded to beat the holy hell out of him for hurting his Liv. Because of him, she may never see or walk again and that alone would break anyone down.

It wasn't long before doctors, nurses and security barged in to see what's all the commotion's about. Elliot wasn't letting Orlando go anytime soon, so he kept beating the shit out of him. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care about his job. What was the point of going to work since his partner's not gonna be there to put up with him for a long time. Besides, he felt this little bitch deserved everything he got.

Finally, Elliot had to be pulled away by two security guards. They immediately noticed his badge and dragged him to a corner while several doctors and nurses attended to a now battered and bruised Orlando. He knew he got the job done. Blood was splattered on the floor and all you could hear was Orlando groaning in pain. Elliot looked down and saw his bloody knuckles and his wrinkled clothes. Oh, yeah, he knew he got the job done.

The blue eyed detective breathed heavily as he watched the punk being carried out of the room in a rolling bed. The damage was done and there's nothing he can do to change it. Besides, he felt the little asshole deserved it for hurting Olivia.

However, he knew he's gonna be deep trouble when Cragen and 1PP finds out what he did. But, he didn't care. He did what he had to do.

For Olivia.

Right now, he has no plans of leaving her. If he had to, he will stay every single day until he sees those beautiful brown eyes of her again.

And he was determined to be there for her, no matter what.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Jackson tells the detectives about the hostile situation between him, Olivia and Orlando. And, Olivia finally comes out of her unconscious state...only to get the shock of her life! Plus, Orlando's continued to seek revenge against Olivia will start to backfire! Stay tuned!**

**I know it's typical for Elliot to beat the holy hell out of Orlando, but, fear not, kiddies, Olivia will get her licks in, too.**

**One more thing, please read my newly revised story 'Hurting and Healing'. **

**Please review!**


	9. Plans to get better

**I'm sorry for not updating in a while; I just had some things to take care of because we are heading towards the holiday season. I did a lot of shopping and I'm going out of town with my fiancé and his family for a couple of days, so this is one of my last updates for a while unless my man brings his laptop with him and let me use it, since he has internet access. Oh, and didn't you love 'Smut' this past Tuesday? Probably one of the best episode thus far this season.**

**Oh, and in case you haven't heard, NBC signed Jay Leno to a new deal that will allow him to remain with them. However, his new prime time show will air every night at 10pm next year, leaving with the possibility that SVU could be canceled. If that's the case, Dick Wolf can just moved the show to USA, just like he did with CI; and look how well the show's doing now. I hope that doesn't happen, but all we can do is hold our breath and see what happens.**

**One more thing, with the possibility of Mariska and Chris leaving the show after this season, something's gotta give.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**April 29, 2008**

"As soon as I heard about what happened to Olivia, I had to come here to warn you. I knew Orlando did this," Jackson said bitterly as he sat down at the table. Fin and Chester both gave him a cup of coffee and a bottle of water before they sat down themselves.

"So, you knew Orlando Cane, right?" Fin asked in a strained voice. It was no secret that Fin and Olivia were close like brother and sister.

"Yeah. Real asshole. He terrorized her in high school. She told me all about it. I was in college when I met Olivia and we were inseparable right away. She told me about her mother, too. What a bitch," Jackson huffed.

"I hope you know Serena died eight years ago," Fin told him.

Jackson didn't look surprised. "Probably from drinking too much. You know she was abusive; made Olivia's life hell. And it didn't help matters that she married the man who raped her, and then he turned out to be abusive as well."

"And you know this how?" Chester asked, looking surprised.

"We were engaged. She told me everything. We were planning on getting married when Orlando ruined everything. Things weren't so good at home between them, so she came to me. Unfortunately, Serena found out about it and threatened to get me kicked out of school if I didn't call off the engagement. But, I couldn't give her up, so she left home. Olivia came to me during the school day and told me Orlando tried to rough her up. I told her she can stay with me because I knew she was sick and tired of him. Well, he found out where I lived. He wasn't gonna let her go. He was hell bent on keeping her under his claws. Too bad he got caught up with a bad crowd and got thrown in jail," Jackson explained.

"How long have you known her?" Fin asked.

Jackson sighed. "A year and a half. We were friends before we fell in love. She tried to get away from him so many times, but he wouldn't let up. He'd kill her first before he'd let her go. He terrorized her mentally, physically and emotionally. One time, I had to visit her at the hospital because he beat her up so bad. And that's when I knew the extent of what happened."

"What happened?" Chester asked, looking frantic.

"She was pregnant," Jackson revealed.

"Pregnant?" Chester and Fin said, looking shocked.

"Yeah, and it was his, because he raped her. However, when he found out about it, he went ballistic. He thought she slept with another man, that's how she got pregnant. He beat her up so bad, she miscarried. I wanted to kill him for what he did to her," Jackson said in low voice.

Fin couldn't believe it. Orlando was more sick than they thought. He never thought in a million years that he would hurt his baby girl. If he knew Olivia a whole lot sooner, he would've gave Orlando a beat down he'll never forget. No one messes with Olivia Benson and gets away with it.

"Now, she's hurt again because he wouldn't leave well enough alone. I thought once he got locked up that he'd finally get the hint and leave her alone, but his flare for Olivia was still there. Orlando doesn't give up so easily. I was even surprised Serena didn't like Orlando, too. In her mind, all men are scum," Jackson huffed.

"How long are you gonna be here?" Fin asked as he picked up a pen and started writing things on the pad.

"I'm here in town on a business trip. I'll be here for a week," Jackson said.

After talking for a few more minutes, Fin and Chester escorted Jackson out, then they just stood there for a while. They didn't know what to make of what just happened, but they knew they weren't gonna stand there and let it linger on for much longer. Fact is, Orlando was still out there and he's not gonna rest until Olivia turns up dead, but if Elliot had his way, Orlando will be buried six feet under when it's all said and done.

"What's next?" Chester asked, looking somber.

Fin sighed. "We'll find Orlando and make him pay, one way or another."

They knew it wasn't gonna be easy.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Olivia Benson's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 3, 2008**

Elliot never left Olivia's side. The only time he did leave was to go home, check on his kids and change clothes. He didn't even go to work; which suited him just fine because he wasn't going back until his partner was well enough to return as well. Right now, he needs to be there for her and there's no way he's letting her out of his sight.

He's been an emotional wreck ever since he learned the news and felt even more vulnerable after he viciously attacked Orlando a few days ago and left him a bloody mess. He kicked himself because he should've been there to stop it from happening. All these thoughts started running through his head as he looked up and watched her looking so helpless and motionless on the bed. A single tear started falling from his eye because he couldn't do anything to help her. He buried his face in his hands and sighed deeply, thinking about what's gonna happen next. This is depressing. He had so much anger building inside of him, he wanted to hit something, but he kept it in check because he didn't wanna scare her off when she finally wakes up.

Truth be told, if the doctors and nurses hadn't come in, Orlando would've been dead by now so he wouldn't hurt Olivia anymore; however, he knew that he would spend the rest of his life thinking about what he did. Elliot was running out of time. With that fool still on the loose, it was only a matter of time before he comes back and finish what he started.

Elliot got up from the chair and walked over to the window. Rain was coming down hard and it looks like it was gonna be a stormy night. He sighed and ran his fingers through his short brown hair, still thinking about what he could've done to prevent Olivia from getting hurt. More and more tears started falling from his eyes as he lowered his head and sighed again.

"E-Elliot? Where are you?" a female voice called out to him.

He shot his head up and looked over his shoulder. He saw Olivia squirming on the bed, which means only one thing:

She was finally waking up!

"Elliot, where are you?" Olivia cried out frantically. He went over to the right side of the bed and grabbed her hand.

"Livvie, baby, I'm right here," he said right away.

"Elliot, I can't find you. Where are you?" she asked, her voice rising.

"I'm right here," he repeated. He was afraid of this. He went through the same thing when he briefly lost his sight after a freak accident. The doctor told him that when she wakes up, she's gonna be aware of her injuries.

"Why can't I see you?! Why can't I move my legs?!" she sobbed.

"Liv, honey, you were attacked," he explained softly.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! I can't see! I can't feel my legs! What has Orlando done to me?!" she cried. Elliot took her in his arms and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. He felt helpless. How can he explain to the love of his life what her ex had done this time? He couldn't bear to tell her the truth. He just couldn't do it.

"Liv, honey, I'm gonna get the doctor. Maybe she can tell us what she can do to help you, okay?" he whispered in her ear. As he was starting to pull away, she just clung to him much tighter, never letting him go. She refused to release him, not when she's finally broken and desperate.

"Don't leave me, El. Please don't leave me," she pleaded desperately, tears falling from her chocolate brown eyes. He kissed her forehead and tightened his arms around her. She sobbed on his chest and grabbed his shirt tightly.

"I won't, baby. God help me, I won't," he promised. He never had any intention of leaving her in the first place.

"Orlando did it. He came up behind me and ambushed me, just like he has done so many times before. I tried to fight him off, but he overpowered me," she sobbed some more.

He's gonna kill Orlando if it's the last thing he does. And he's gonna do it for her.

He's gonna do it for Olivia.

X

**Local motel**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**May 3, 2008**

Orlando looked in the broken mirror and was horrified at the sight before him. He was still a bloody and broken mess after what that hot-headed detective did to him. Truth be told, he really didn't plan on killing Olivia; he was planning on dragging her out of the hospital and go into hiding, but no, Elliot Stabler ruined everything. And he was pissed off.

Now the heat is on. He knows the cops are looking for him and it's only a matter of time before he's finally caught. But, he's not done seeking revenge against Olivia. He still has big plans in store for her. She needs to pay for hurting him and getting him locked up.

However, his plans for getting retribution was slowly biting him in the ass now. If Elliot attacking him in the hospital was any indication, he realized there's more where that came from.

And he's not gonna like it one bit.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Olivia Benson's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 3, 2008**

"I'm recommending that we get detective Benson into surgery as soon as possible. I do believe she has a good chance of getting her sight back," Doctor Melanie Carson told Elliot.

"What about her other injuries?" Elliot asked, looking curious. He looked over his shoulder and saw Olivia asleep.

"She's gonna have endure months and months of physical therapy if she's planning to be on her feet again. We looked through her x-rays and found her spinal cord was nicked, but it wasn't too severe. I'm more concerned about her eyesight, though," she explained.

Elliot understood the risk. Even though he was able to get his sight back without going under the knife, it was still a risky move. However, he wanted to see Olivia looking at him again and she said she was more than willing to see again, so they were willing to take that risk.

"I talked to her and she wants to see again. So, how soon can you get her into surgery?" he asked nervously.

"Tomorrow morning, if possible. Don't worry, Elliot; she's gonna be fine. The chances of her seeing again are really good. I've a large number of success stories," Melanie smiled before she turned on her heel and walked away.

Elliot went back inside and sat down at the chair. He took Olivia's hand into his and stroked it gently. He closed his eyes and started praying.

At this point, that's all he can do.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Olivia goes into surgery. Orlando gets ambushed from an unexpected person and Elliot goes back to work long enough to tell them what's going on. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	10. The big day

**Well, I'm back. My holiday vacation was amazing and we were able to get home with no problems. I had no idea all the snow in my town melted because it's been raining for the last few days, so that's why I didn't have any problem getting home. Well, we're less than a week away from the new year, and believe me, I'm planning on partying the night away with my fiancé and my friends. So, please, from my gift to you, please enjoy this brand new chapter.**

**Oh, and one more thing, can someone tell me when the new episodes will air just so I can be prepared for it? I can't wait any longer!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Olivia Benson's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

Elliot was nervous. Really nervous. And he has every right to be nervous because today was it. Olivia was going into surgery. Last night, he went into the hospital chapel, got down on his knees and prayed all night. And he never stopped praying.

Truth be told, he was scared as hell. He was more scared for her because she's been enough hell in her lifetime. With her ex still on the loose, planning his next move, his rage was out of control. Furthermore, he couldn't bear seeing the love of his life in her current state. She was supposed to be by his side; fighting crime, laughing, sharing drinks together and just being 'Bad Ass' Benson. However, as he learned so many times, even though she's a cop, she's also a woman and even cops have the tendency to be scared.

He raised his head up and opened his eyes. Weak sunlight peered through the curtained windows, which meant morning has arrived. He sighed deeply and cranked his neck as he got up and walked towards the window. He leaned against the wall and looked outside. A million thoughts ran through his head. He couldn't think about anything other than what's been going with Olivia within the last few days. Now, he wondered if going back to work without her was worth it. He wondered if he could be able to carry on without her was worth it. He didn't know what to think anymore.

"Elliot?" a familiar female voice called out to him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Olivia stirring on the bed.

"I'm here, baby," he responded.

"Where are you?" she asked softly.

"I'm standing by the window," he told her.

"Can you come over here, please?" she asked, practically begging.

He smiled as he moved away from the window and went back over to the chair he was sitting in. Then he sat down and took her hand into his gently.

"You okay?" he asked right away.

"I'm scared. What if it doesn't go well?" she asked frantically.

He raised her hand up and kissed it lightly. "Baby, don't worry. You're gonna be in good hands. The doctor told me you have a very good chance of seeing again. She just wants to make sure you're gonna get better, that's all."

"Will you love me even if I don't get my eyesight back?" she asked in an soft, unsure voice.

"I'll always love you, no matter what," he declared honestly.

"Hold me, please?" Olivia asked. She was on the verge of crying.

He didn't have to hear that twice. He climbed in the bed beside her and wrapped his strong arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and sobbed quietly. He kissed her forehead gently and tightened his hold on her. He didn't wanna let her go.

"Everything's gonna be okay, baby. Everything's gonna be okay," he assured her.

X

**Local motel**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

Orlando was running out of time. He was losing his patience. He packed up his thing and was ready to get out of here. Since he ran out of money, he's gonna have to find somewhere else to stay; somewhere so the cops can't find him. He couldn't bear being seen again after what that fucker cop did to him last week. He still has big plans for Olivia's partner after what he did. He couldn't get proper medical treatment because there's so much fire under his ass now. God, why does everything has to be messed up?

He put his things by the door and took a minute to look around where he's been staying for the last week. If he hadn't run out of money, he would've stayed in a much nicer hotel room. He didn't have to think about that now. He was still on the run. If he has to, he'll have to skip town in order to save his ass.

Just as he was opening the door, he came face to face with a fist crashing on the side of his face. He stumbled back into the room, holding his face and groaning in pain. He heard the door being slammed shut as he tumbled on the bed.

"What the hell?!" Orlando mumbled loudly. He looked up and glared at the man who punched him.

"Orlando Cane. I've been wanting to do that for a long damn time," the man said in a menacing tone.

Orlando looked up and was confused at the man standing over him.

"I don't know who you are, but you had no right punching me in my fucking face!" he snapped.

"Actually, yes I do. This is for Olivia, you fucking prick!" the man snapped back.

Orlando finally figured out who the man was. He couldn't believe it. It was like someone kicked him in the ass once again!

"Jackson Peterson?!" Orlando revealed, looking shocked.

"Surprise, motherfucker! Thought you weren't gonna see me again; after what I heard what you did to Olivia once again?!" Jackson raged.

Suddenly, Orlando smirked. "I figured you would show up. Always coming to Olivia's rescue. Did you ever wonder why she left your stupid ass? Because she kept coming back to me."

Jackson raised his foot up and kicked him square in his face. Orlando groaned in pain because he knew he should've never said those words.

"No! You kept forcing her to come back to you; because you kept threatening her life over and over again. And, I have news for you, buddy: she didn't call the cops on you when you got caught up in that robbery-murder rap. I did," Jackson revealed with a smile on his face.

Orlando was shocked. Truly shocked. "What?! You couldn't have! You moved out of town when that happened!"

"Wrong again, you stupid bastard! I didn't move until after you got locked up. And, as far as Olivia testifying against you, the only reason she did it is because she got sick and tired of you. She tried to break things off with you before, but you couldn't leave well enough alone and kept terrorizing her. She never wanted you. She never loved you. If anything, it's all your fault things between Olivia and her mother got even worse!" Jackson roared.

Orlando was beyond angry. Without warning, he got up from the bed and proceeded to lunge at Jackson, but Olivia's former fiance proved to be much smarter by moving out of the way and got great satisfaction in watching Orlando crash and burn on the table. Jackson reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a set of handcuffs he brought at the store, then he leaned down and proceeded to slap them right on his wrists.

"Let me go, you piece of shit!" Orlando demanded.

Jackson just smiled as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "I don't think so. You're going back where you belong, bitch. I'm doing this for Olivia."

He dialed the number to the police station on his cell. After two rings, someone picked.

"_Manhattan Special Victims Unit."_

"This is Jackson Peterson here. I just wanna let you know that I made an citizen's arrest. We're located in Brooklyn."

Orlando knew he was done for now.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

"El, you're coming back, right?" Olivia asked frantically. Although she's going into surgery, she wanted to make sure he was gonna be there if she gets her eyesight back. The first person she wants to see is him.

Elliot smiled. "Yes, baby. I'm coming back. I'm going to the bullpen for a while. Don't worry; you're in good hands."

"He's right, Olivia. We're gonna take good care of you. You're gonna be good as new in no time," Melanie assured her.

"El, will you do something for me before you go?" Olivia asked softly.

"Anything for my angel," he said without hesitation.

"Kiss me," she said boldly.

He smiled as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he couldn't help but notice a huge smile on her face.

"I love you," she told him.

"And I love you. I'll be back before you know it, okay? I'll even bring the kids here," he told her.

"Okay," she said softly. She could feel her eyes growing heavy.

"We're ready to go. Don't worry, Elliot, we have everything under control," Melanie said before she and several other doctors began wheeling Olivia. As he watched them head towards the elevators, a single tear started falling from his blue eye. He closed his eyes tightly and silently began to pray. Praying was all he could do at this point.

Suddenly, he was jerked back to reality when his cell phone rang. He reached inside his pocket, pulled it out and snapped it open.

"Stabler," he answered.

"_Elliot, it's Fin. You need to come down to the station," _Fin replied right away.

"I was just on my way. Why, what's going on?" Elliot asked out of the blue.

"_You're not gonna believe this. We've got Orlando in custody," _Fin announced.

Elliot couldn't believe it. Orlando was in custody?! He thought his prayers were answered!

"How long ago was this?" Elliot asked.

"_A few minutes ago. He was found in a motel in Brooklyn. Was worked over, too. Our witness managed to keep him occupied by the time we got there," _Fin explained.

"I'm on my way," Elliot said as he snapped his phone shut and put it back in his pocket. With fierce determination burning in his eyes, he turned on his heel and walked away.

He couldn't wait to get his hands on Orlando again.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

"Where is he?!" Elliot barked when he walked inside of the bullpen.

Fin intercepted him. "He's in interrogation. But, Elliot, Cap told me to tell you to step out on this one."

"What?! Why?!" Elliot snapped.

"El, man, I know you wanna hurt him like he hurt Liv, but we can't send him to jail if you're gonna kill him. I know your temper. Besides, our witness wanna talk to you," Fin said, trying to calm him down.

"I can't stay long. I'm going back to the hospital. Liv needs me," Elliot said.

"What's going on with her?" Fin asked, thinking about his baby sister.

"She's in surgery as we speak. Furthermore, she's going into physical therapy when she gets out. She's determined to get back on her feet at all cost," Elliot explained.

"That's our Liv. She's gonna be okay, man. But, we need you. Just go and talk to him, okay?" Fin said, looking somewhat hopeful as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Elliot took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He needed answers on why Orlando did this to Olivia and if this witness knew something, he was gonna know all about it. He was doing this for Olivia; the woman who's fighting to get her life back on track.

With another heavy sigh escaping her lips, he headed towards the interview room.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Elliot talks to Jackson, then he heads back to the hospital. A week later, Olivia get her miracle while Orlando figures out how he's gonna break out of jail! Stay tuned!**

**I know having Olivia being all scared is out of character for her, but as I mentioned before, even though she's a cop, she's also a woman. This story shows that abuse can happen to anyone at any time as one of my reviewers told me (thanks, by the way)!**

**Please review!**


	11. Miracles do happen

**Well, I'm back with a brand new chapter. Someone mentioned if I should kill Orlando in this story because he's been causing Olivia so much pain. Well, I'm still contemplating whether I should kill him or not. There's a still a lot of twists and turns in this story and I feel it's time I should incorporate some more EO romance in the story as well. So, for any of you who's hoping for a Olivia/Jackson romantic reunion, it's not gonna happen. Jackson's married and Olivia loves Elliot. Enough said.**

**I was so happy to see the new episode last week. I loved 'Stranger' because it was so dark with so many twists and turns. I was disgusted by the fact that the girl's father kept her hidden for so many years and, yes, I cried when Kristen reunited with her mother. I can't wait until tonight.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**Interview room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

Elliot knew he shouldn't be here. He needed to be back at the hospital, with Olivia, wondering if she's okay. Instead, he's here, at the one six, in the interview room, about to talk to this witness about Orlando and why was he hurting Olivia to the point she lost use of her eyesight and her legs. However, he wanted answers and he wasn't getting them nowhere else. He needed answers so Orlando can rot in jail for the rest of his natural life. He wanted Olivia to feel safe. He wanted 'bad ass' Benson back.

He knew he couldn't say long, though. He had to get back. He got a phone call from the doctor, telling that Olivia's surgery was a complete success and now there's definitely a good chance she will see again. It proved to be a small victory for them both, but the real test will come a week later. God, the wait will be long and torturous.

"One of my fellow detectives told me you wanted to speak to me," Elliot said finally.

Jackson nodded. "Yes. I do. There some things you need to know about Olivia and Orlando and I'm the only one who can tell you."

"What's your name?" Elliot asked softly.

"Jackson Peterson. Olivia and I know each other because we were once engaged," he revealed.

Elliot was shocked. Olivia was engaged?! How come she didn't tell him about it? Maybe because she didn't wanna be labeled as a slut or a whore, which she's not. Either way, he knew he had to keep his emotions in check and keep listening.

"I knew Orlando was no good for her. She told me everything; what he did to her, what he put her through. She was already having problems at home concerning her mother and this bastard just added more fuel to the fire. He terrorized her every single chance he got: he called her names, he constantly cheated on her, he hit her whenever she does something wrong and he has the tendency to lose his temper in front of the whole school," Jackson explained.

"Did you go to the same school with her?" Elliot jumped in.

"No. I was in college when we got engaged. Every time there was a problem, she turned to me for help. I asked her why can't she just leave him and she told me he threatened to kill her if she ever left. He did anything to keep her under his control. It wasn't until he went to jail that she was finally free of him," Jackson said, looking sad.

"Did he ever...?" Elliot asked, thinking the worst.

"If you wondering if he raped her, then yes, he did. Olivia came to me, her clothes all torn and she was beaten up, too. I wanted to kill him for what he did to her. To make matters worse, she found out she was pregnant. Orlando found out about it and he went berserk," Jackson said, now looking angry.

"What did he do to her?!" Elliot gritted his teeth.

"He believed she cheated on him, so he beat the crap out of her. Next thing she remembered, she woke up in the hospital with the doctor telling her she lost the baby. I felt I should've done something to prevent it from happening," Jackson said, looking dejected.

"Olivia told me he went to jail for robbery and being an accessory to a convenient store murder. She told me she called the police," Elliot said.

Jackson shook his head. "She didn't call the police. I did. He thought she did and that's why he was so hell bent on revenge. He was gonna make her pay at all costs. So, when I heard he put her in the hospital, I knew I had to come here. Thank Goodness my boss sent me on a business trip."

"How long are you gonna be here?" Elliot asked. Now that he knows what kind of person Orlando was, he's gonna have to share the information with the DA's office.

"A week or two. Listen, if you want me to testify, I'll do it," Jackson declared without hesitation.

"Let me talk to the DA and we'll see what happens," Elliot said as he got up and walked out of the room. When he closed the door, he leaned against it and sighed deeply. This was draining him and it showed, because the color was leaving his face. He knew Orlando was sick, but he never thought in a million years that he would turn out to be so sick, demented and obsessed. He was going down for this. Oh, yeah, he was definitely going down.

"Hey, El, we have more than enough to go to trial on this," Casey said when she came out of the captain's office with Cragen trailing close behind.

"I know. I'm going back to the hospital. I promised Olivia I would be back when she gets out of surgery," Elliot said before he pushed himself off the door and proceeded to walk away.

"What are the chances that Orlando will get convicted?" Don asked, looking skeptical.

Casey sighed deeply. "Don, right now, I'm more worried about Olivia's well-being."

Don agreed. He was more concerned for Olivia's heath as well.

X

**Arraignment court**

**New York Supreme Court**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 4, 2008**

"Document pending 89043178, people vs. Orlando Cane. One count of attempted murder in the second degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, one count of assault with deadly weapon in the first degree," the bailiff read as he handed the information over to Judge Henry Carter.

"How does the defendant plead?" he asked right away.

"Not guilty, your honor," Orlando said, looking pissed off. He was pissed off for a reason. He knew he was going down big time for this, but that doesn't mean he liked it. He has to come up with a way to get out of jail. He still has some unfinished business to take care of. Olivia must pay for making his life a living hell.

"I'll hear the people on bail," he barked.

"The people request remand, your honor. The defendant's a flight risk," Casey said, getting right down to business.

"My client's not a flight risk. He's being railroaded by the NYPD just because of allegations that he has a grudge against Detective Olivia Benson," defense lawyer Jennifer Hampton argued.

"He was in a relationship with her, where he physically, emotionally and sexually abused her. He threatened to kill her if she ended the relationship and he alienated her from everyone, including her own mother," Casey countered.

"Your honor, my client is being persecuted just because of his past relationship with the so-called victim. I'm requesting that bail should be set at 1 million dollars," Jennifer suggested.

"So he can be on the run again, knowing the seriousness of the charges he's facing? Your honor, if the defendant's granted bail, he's gonna finish what he started concerning detective Benson," Casey complained.

"I'm inclined to agree with Ms. Novak. The defendant shall be remanded without bail," the judge announced.

"And, your honor, giving the seriousness of the charges, the people request that a no-contact order be issued because he has contacted detective Benson in the past, both over the phone and in person," Casey said, looking at Orlando in disgust.

"So ordered," the judge said as he banged the gavel.

Feeling confidant that the trial's gonna go smoothly, Casey grabbed her briefcase and walked out of the courtroom. However, she was still worried about Olivia and the state she was currently in. Orlando managed to break her physically, but it's her emotional well-being that's up for question.

Will she be able to pull through and testify?

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Olivia Benson's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 11, 2008**

Olivia was nervous as hell. It's been a week since she went into surgery and now she was laying in her bed, with the bandages wrapped over her eyes. She wondered if Elliot was gonna show up. She needed him to be there, so if she was able to see, he's the first person she'll be looking at.

Now, her legs were a different story. She still felt nothing, but she heard these things take a lot of time. And it's only been a few weeks since her attack, so it's not like she can be back on her feet right away. Her ex caused more damage than she realized and he was hell bent on making sure she pays big time. And, from the look of things, he may have succeeded.

"Olivia?" a male voice called out to her. She could hear the door being opened and that means only one thing: Elliot was here.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered.

He sat down on the chair and grabbed her hand gently. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I told you I would always be here, no matter what."

"Oh, but what if I can't see again? What's gonna happen then? I could lose my job. I could lose everything," she broke down.

He leaned over and kissed the crown of her head gently. "First of all, you're not gonna lose a damn thing. You didn't asked to be attacked. We both know the only person who's the blame for all this is Orlando. You made it clear that you never wanted him in the first place, but he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. This is not your fault. And, you know me; I can't give you up. We'll get through this together. We're Benson and Stabler. We don't back down from no one."

She had to smile of what he said. "Thank you, El. I love you."

"And I love you, baby. I love you so much," he said as he heard the door being pushed open. Doctor Melanie Carson and a nurse walked in, smiling at the couple.

"How are you doing, Olivia?" Melanie asked cheerfully.

"I'm doing good as expected. I'm just ready to do this," Olivia said a little nervously.

"Everything's gonna be okay, honey. As I mentioned before, the chances of getting your sight back are really good. I do recommend that you wear glasses for the time being if your sight gets blurry," Melanie said as she went over to the right side of the bed. The nurses handed her a pair a scissors while Elliot scooted back to give them so room.

With a deep breath, Melanie started cutting the gauze away from Olivia's face. Olivia began to panic; thinking about what's gonna happen once she's rid of them. Will everything be same between her and Elliot? Will he still love her the same? Will he even care?

After the last cut, Melanie and the nurse carefully removed the wrap away from the detective's eyes. She had her eyes closed the entire time and she was afraid to open them. However, her fears started to evaporate she felt Elliot's hand squeezing hers gently. That's when she knew she was gonna be okay, so she started opening her eyes.

Olivia blinked a few times as she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a moment before it slowly started to clear up. She turned her head and by the time her vision kept clearing up, Elliot's face appeared in her eyes. She couldn't help but smile.

"What's that smile for?" he said, a grin plastering on his handsome face.

"I'm smiling because I can't see anything but you sitting there smiling at me," she told him finally.

He grabbed her face gently and lavished tender kisses on her. Both of them had tears in their eyes because this was the happiest day of their lives. Both of their prayers have been answered.

And that proved to be the first victory for her. Now, she has another goal to accomplish: getting back on her feet.

Literally.

X

**Rikers Island Correctional Facility**

**Orlando Cane's cell**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 11, 2008**

Orlando was angry. So angry that he kept punching the stone wall until his knuckles turned white. He couldn't believe all of this came back and bit him in the ass. He was supposed to seek revenge on Olivia, then skip town. Who knew Jackson would find him and kick his ass? Who knew he was gonna get caught? All he knows is he's behind bars, looking angry, confused and ready to kill someone.

He thought about how he's gonna get out jail and finish what he started; but he knew if he was caught again, Olivia's partner will beat him to a bloody pulp. He did some research and found out that Elliot has the tendency to lose his temper a lot. Orlando couldn't help being a little scared at the thought.

He knew he was screwed.

Big time.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Olivia starts her physical therapy with Elliot by her side. Meanwhile, Orlando's trial begins with a huge twist in store! Stay tuned!**

**And please make sure to read my newest story **_**Payback's a Bitch**_**!**

**Please review!**


	12. Shockers, twists and working things out

**Well, I'm so glad you're happy that Olivia's seeing again, but you're gonna be more happy with how the rest of the story will turn out. I have something special planned for Orlando, so don't worry, I'm gonna have fun with his ass. And, as I mentioned before, there's a twist coming up at the trial. You're gonna see why there's so much hatred between Orlando and Jackson. Furthermore, you're gonna find out how sick Orlando turned out to be.**

**How did you like the episode? Man, I thought Olivia looked good. And, did you look at Fin? He was being cool as her muscle? And what about the girl? She was cuckoo for cocoa puffs!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Harper Rehab center**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**May 25, 2008**

It's been two weeks since Olivia got her eyesight back and now she was facing her biggest battle to date. She wanted to be back on her feet and the only way she can get back on her feet is to go through physical therapy. She's been itching to get out of the hospital for a long time and now that she's out, she's determined to get her life back on track. She wanted to get back to work as soon as possible.

Elliot never left her side since the wonderful day. Just to see his handsome face and his beautiful smile warmed her heart to the core and made her life much more brighter. Words couldn't even describe how she felt when she opened her eyes and saw him again. And when they held each other tightly and kissed, she never wanted the moment to end; in fact, she'd give anything to go back in time and relive that moment over and over again.

And things got even better when she learned that Orlando was caught and was now being tried for what he did to her. She was surprised to learn her ex-fiancé played a major part in Orlando's capture. She had no idea Jackson came back into town, but she was grateful he did come back to help her once again. She knew she's gonna have to tell Elliot how she and Jackson got engaged in the first place, but she had a feeling he already knew. But, he was here and he wasn't going anywhere. He loves her and she loves him and that's what counts.

Olivia knew she's gonna have to testify eventually but she'll do anything to make sure Orlando doesn't get out of jail this time around. He had hurt her long enough. She never wanted him in the first place, but he wouldn't leave her alone. Furthermore, she didn't know what she was thinking when she agreed to start dating him in the first place; much more growing up with him and actually considering him a friend. While things at home with her mother was bad enough, going to school and having to deal with the man who tortured her on a daily basis made it even worse.

Then her thoughts turned to her unborn baby she lost. When she found out she was pregnant after Orlando raped her, she had every intention of keeping the baby and raising it on her own. She wouldn't turn out to be like her mother: drunk, depressed, abusive and bitter. No, she was determined to give her baby a better life. However, that never happened because Orlando just had to attack her after he accused her of sleeping with someone else. When she learned that she miscarried, she broke down and cried. She would've raised her baby with Jackson. He was a better man for her and he would've been a wonderful father.

"Are you ready to do this, babe?" Elliot asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She blinked for a moment before she smiled at him. "I'm more than ready to do this. 'Bad Ass' Benson will make a comeback."

He grinned foolishly. "And when you do get back on your feet, we're long overdue for a vacation. I figure I'd take you somewhere exotic, like Hawaii or the Bahamas."

"You're determined to get me alone, aren't you, you stubborn son of a bitch?!" she laughed.

"Yes, I am," he laughed right along with her.

He got behind her and wheeled her towards the room where the therapy was taking place. Olivia hated being in a wheelchair but she couldn't get up and walk away. She was stuck.

A small, petite woman with long brown hair and muscular features approached them with a smile on her face.

"You must be Elliot and Olivia. I'm Jessica Carlton and I'm gonna be assisting you in your therapy. We're gonna do everything we can to make sure you're in tip top shape. I spoke to your doctor and she told me the extent of your injuries. It's a long shot, but we're work long and hard," Jessica explained to them.

"How long does this take?" Olivia asked nervously. She didn't flinch when Elliot placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Months, sometimes years. I once had a patient who didn't walk until almost four years later. These things take a long time. We'll take it one day at a time," Jessica assured her.

Within minutes, Olivia was laying on the table as Jessica started stretching her legs. She scrunched her face up in pain, but that's part of the therapy process. Elliot never left her side; in fact, he was standing right there, encouraging her on with his soothing words. Olivia was on the verge of tears because she had no idea how painful this is. However, she'll go through hell and high water just to walk again. She was tough, she was strong and...she was Olivia Benson, the best cop in New York City.

She's doing this. For herself and for Elliot.

X

**Trial, part 37**

**New York Supreme Court**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 25, 2008**

"Mr. Peterson, as you stated in your Grand Jury testimony, you knew that the defendant was hurting Detective Benson for a number of years and you did everything you could to stop it from happening, right?" Casey asked, being all professional and going straight for the juggler.

Jackson looked poised and calm on the stand. "Yes, I did. Every single time he lays a hand on her, she comes crying to me. She didn't even have to tell me because I already knew what was going on."

"She even told you about her home life, am I correct?" Casey asked.

"She told me everything. She told me what her mother had done to her, she told me what Orlando had been doing to her," he answered.

"When she told you she was pregnant, what was your initial reaction?"

He cleared his throat. "I told her that if she decided to keep the baby, I would be more than happy to step in and be the baby's father. Olivia and I were engaged at the time and I was doing everything I could to help her out. However, Orlando found out about the pregnancy and accused her of sleeping with someone else. He attacked her and that's what caused her to miscarry. We were both devastated."

"Mr. Peterson, please tell the court how did you finally manage to get the defendant away from her?" Casey asked, looking calm.

"Orlando had fallen on hard times after he was expelled from school for pulling the fire alarm. He started hanging out with a bad crowd while he kept terrorizing Olivia. I was actually at the convenient store where the robbery took place. That's when I saw him. And that's when I called the police," he explained.

"No further questions," Casey as she turned on her heel and started walking towards the table just as Orlando's defense attorney stood up.

"So, you seem to know a lot about my client here. You were engaged to Olivia while he was with her. Still, she kept coming to you because she needed your help. If she never loved my client, did she love you?" Jennifer sneered.

Jackson glared at her. "We loved each other, but Orlando ruined everything. He wouldn't leave her alone. He terrorized her every chance he could. He threatened to kill her if she ever left him. She came to me because she didn't have a good home life. Her mother and father were abusive. Besides, we were planning on getting married after she graduated from high school."

"However, her mother found out and threatened to get you kicked out of college if you didn't call off the engagement. However, you and Olivia never stayed away from each other. You remained together. So, basically, you stole her away from Orlando!"

"Objection!" Casey barked, standing up.

"Sustained. You're treading on thin ice, counselor," Judge Henry Carter scolded.

"You knew Olivia was with my client, but you still stuck your nose in his business. Why did you call the police? Why didn't you reveal yourself?" Jennifer asked.

"Because he already assumed Olivia called the police. She broke up with him, anyway. So, when he assumed she called the police, he kept all of his rage against her. He never thought about me. You have to understand; she was in the police academy at the time. Furthermore, she knew the owner of the store. He was a father figure to her," he replied.

"So, tell me, why do you know so much about my client? Why couldn't you leave well enough alone and let them work it out for themselves and let them be happy?" she asked, sneering more and more at the witness.

Jackson looked nervous and scared. Should he mentioned why he knows so much about Orlando? No, he just couldn't. He couldn't because if he did and if Olivia found out, he didn't know how he's gonna be able to go on. And he didn't know if Olivia will forever forgive him.

"Answer the question, Mr. Peterson," the judge warned him.

"Because he...he's my half-brother," Jackson mumbled.

"Would you speak up, please?" Jennifer asked, looking more and more annoyed by the second and raising her voice.

"BECAUSE HE'S MY HALF BROTHER! YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, ORLANDO CANE IS MY FREAKING BROTHER!" Jackson boomed, sending everyone in the courtroom in a state of shock.

Orlando sunk down in his chair and looked so angry. He couldn't believe what he heard. Jackson was his half-brother?! He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He didn't wanna believe it! Then, as kept thinking about, it all made sense now. Orlando's father never told him about Jackson because he never saw him in the first place. Jackson was his success story; Orlando was a failure from the moment father and son first saw each other.

_My life is fucking over, _he thought angrily. He glanced over at Jackson, who was glaring at him from the witness stand.

_It doesn't matter. Olivia's still gonna pay for hurting me. Now, I'm gonna make my dear half-brother suffers right along with her for making a fucking fool out of me!_

X

**Harper Rehab Center**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**May 25, 2008**

"You did great today. We're moving along nicely. I'll see you same time tomorrow," Jessica smiled as she patted the brunette on her back and walked away.

"You did good, Liv. This is just the first step," Elliot said as he walked over to her. She laid her head on his broad shoulder and sighed deeply.

"What a workout. I thought I was gonna pass out," she mumbled softly.

"Like she mentioned before, we're taking it one day at a time. You'll be good as new in no time. Benson and Stabler will be back at work, standing side by side," he said as he kissed her forehead gently.

"Speaking of work, can you take me there? I haven't seen the guys in a long time," Olivia said softly.

Elliot lifted her up in his arms and placed down in the wheelchair. "Sure, honey. Anything you want."

"El, I've seen the way you looked at me earlier. There are some things you do need to know about me and Jackson," she said, lowering her head.

He reached under her chin with his finger and lifted her head up. "Baby, when you're ready, and I do mean when you're ready, you can tell me, okay? Right now, I'm glad you're still here with me. Nothing's gonna stop us from being together, all right?"

"I love you," she whispered.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "And I love you. Now, let's get out of here."

With a sense of satisfaction on her face, she couldn't stop smiling as he wheeled her out. She still has a long road ahead of her, but she was now more determined than ever to get there.

And, she wasn't doing it alone, either. She had Elliot now. He was never leaving her.

And she couldn't be more grateful.

**Coming up in the next chapter: Another big twist happens at Orlando's trial when someone from his past shows up to testify against him. Meanwhile, Olivia and Jackson finally see each other again and Elliot tries his best to conceal his jealously. And, keep it locked because I did mention Olivia will get her licks in! Stay tuned!**

**And, please, make sure to read and review my brand new story **_**Payback's a Bitch.**_

**Please review!**


	13. Meeting with the exes

**Well, I'm back again. I'm feeling a whole lot better now, so I will be able to update more often. Furthermore, I did mention that Olivia will finally get revenge against Orlando, and it's gonna happen really soon. I'm having a fun time writing this story and this proves to be one of my favorites. Keep it locked; there's so much more in store for you.**

**NEW EPISODE TOMORROW! NEW EPISODE TOMORROW! NEW EPISODE TOMORROW!!**

**One more thing, I have a question for you. What do you think should happen to Orlando towards the end? Hit me up and let me know what you want to happen to him.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Harper Rehab Center**

**Brooklyn, New York**

**May 26. 2008**

Elliot wheeled Olivia inside the rehab center, both of them teetering on edge and it's only day 2 of her recovery. Olivia especially was on edge because of what happened yesterday. When they got home, she received a letter from Rikers and it wasn't a friendly letter, to say the least. It was from Orlando and he demanded to see her as soon as possible because he was nowhere near done with her. However, even she knew it's not gonna happen because she didn't wanna deal with him for the time being. She didn't wanna give him the satisfaction. As far as she's concerned, he's much more safer behind bars because if she ever saw him again, she'll lash out full force. And, with Elliot by her side, she wasn't gonna be stopped.

When she showed Elliot the letter, he was tempted to go down to the correctional facility and beat the shit out of him for even contacting her in the first place. Orlando violated the terms of being remanded so Alex and Casey informed the judge about it. But, that did little to what that prick said in the letter. He was still hell bent on making the brunette detective pay. Furthermore, she was shocked to learn that Orlando and Jackson are half-brothers. They both have the same father, but different mothers; which makes their hatred for each other grow even higher.

Now, the shit has hit the fan. Everything's spiraling out of control and she couldn't do a damn thing to contain it. Even though she has Elliot by her side, she felt like she was all alone and dealing with it the best way she knew how to deal with it: by keeping it bottled up inside.

"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked, snapping her out of her trance.

She looked up and smiled at him. "I'm fine."

"Still thinking about that letter? Don't worry, if you don't wanna see him, you don't have to," he assured her.

"I know. But, there is someone I do wanna see," she said softly.

"Who?" he asked, looking curious.

She blinked for a moment before she opened her mouth. "Jackson. I need to see him."

Elliot stared at her in surprise. "Liv, I know it's been a long time since you'd seen him, but I don't wanna lose you to him, even though he's married. He still have feelings for you. I could tell when I spoke to him."

She grabbed his hand and kissed it gently. "Listen to me, okay? I love you and only you. Jackson and I both know where we stand. Besides, he's going back home after the trial's over. He has someone waiting for him. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Okay. Well, let's get this rehab underway," he smiled as he leaned down and picked her up off her wheelchair and sat her down on the table, just as Jessica walked in with a huge smile on her face.

"Hello, you two. I see you're ready to get started," she told them, still smiling.

"Yes," Olivia said, smiling brightly. She was anxious to get his under way. She's been looking forward to this every single day ever since she got out of the hospital.

Elliot never left her side as they got to work. He'd never see his girlfriend work so hard and so vigorously in all his life. That's one of the things he loved about her. Olivia's drive and determination was one of the reason why she was the best. But, this was more personal, more sacred, more determined. She was willing to prove to everyone that she may be down, but she's not out. Not by a long shot.

After several hours, it was over. Another day was accomplished. Jessica patted Olivia on her back and complimented her on another job well done. The brunette smiled, knowing that she was doing an great job with her therapy. Elliot came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You're doing great, baby. You'll be back on your feet in no time," he whispered against her ear.

She kept smiling. "Man, that was exhausting, though. I'm tired. And starving."

"Well, are you hungry? We can go and get some lunch," he suggested.

"Well, I was hoping you can take me to the precinct. I haven't seen the guys in a while," she told him.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked, looking concerned.

She smiled again. "Yes, I'm sure. And if Jackson's there, I wanna see him and talk to him."

He nodded his head slowly as he picked her up and placed her down in her wheelchair, then he started pushing her out of the room. Even though he was calm, cool and collected on the surface, he was angry on the inside. He was angry because his love wanted to see her ex and that alone made him worry. Although she assured him she wasn't going anywhere, he was still worried. What if she changed her mind? What if she decided to drop everything and be with Jackson again? Will his anger and jealously get the best of him?

Elliot shook his head and pushed the thoughts in the back of his mind as he and Olivia left the center. He didn't have anything to worry about.

Or does he?

X

**Trial, part 40**

**New York Supreme Court**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 26, 2008**

Orlando slumped back in his seat, looking angry and worried. So far, the evidence against him proved to be overwhelming. First, having to hear that Jackson was his half-brother was bad enough, but for him to tell the court how much of a screw up Orlando turned out to be, he pretty much knew he was done for.

However, even he was not prepared when the prosecution called a key witness to the trial. When he looked over his shoulder and saw the woman strutting inside the courtroom and taking her place at the stand, he knew it was over. It was all over.

"Would you please state your name for the record, please?" Alex asked as she stood up from the table.

"Ashley Elizabeth Caruso," the woman stated.

"And what is your relationship to the defendant, Ms. Caruso?" Alex asked as she took off her glasses and sat them down on the table so they won't get broken.

Ashley cleared her throat as she turned in her seat and glared right at Orlando. "He used to be my fiancé."

Everyone in the courtroom gasped in shock. Orlando sunk further down in his chair and groaned in annoyance. Of all days, why today just had to be the worst day of his life?

He knew he was done for now.

"Ashley, how long have you and the defendant been together?" Alex asked, looking serious.

"We were on and off for years before he proposed marriage to me. I had no idea he was seeing another woman at the time. Orlando had a habit of lying to me a lot. He's a damn good liar, though. He had me fooled," Ashley huffed.

"So, when he start abusing you?" Alex asked as she approached the stand.

"Not long after we got engaged. The first time he hit me; I was shocked and didn't know what to make of it. He had this cold, empty expression on his face, like I couldn't get a good read of him. I knew bad things were gonna happen from then on."

"So, why didn't you leave him?" Alex asked.

Ashley had tears forming in her eyes. "Because he threatened to kill me if I did. And he'd do it, too, if he hadn't got locked up. However, once he did, I sold the engagement ring, called off the wedding and left town altogether. I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Then, I learned he had a ax to grind with the other woman he was seeing. I had no idea who she was until I heard she was attacked. I had a feeling Orlando had something to with it."

"What makes you say that?" Alex asked, looking curiously.

Ashley turned her head and glared at Orlando again. "Because he has a habit of getting even with whoever done him wrong. Believe me, he tried it with me once."

"What happened?"

"Well, when I left him the first time, he went ballistic. He did everything he could to find me. He went around and started threatening my friends, my family. He was getting scary. I'd never seen him so angry in all my years of knowing him. Finally, one of my so-called friends told him where I was hiding. I didn't have time to plan an escape because he was at my door. The next thing I knew; he was all over me, beating the crap out of me. And that's when I knew how dangerous he was," Ashley said.

"Thank you. No further questions," Alex said as she turned on her heel and walked away, just as Orlando's lawyer stood up.

"So, you were engaged to my client, right? So, I was wondering, if he beat you up so bad and then threatened you, why did you stay with him, anyway?" Jennifer asked, leering at her.

Ashley sighed. "I was pregnant with his baby."

"What happened to the baby? Did you abort it?" Jennifer asked, looking angry.

Ashley glared at her. "No. I don't believe in abortion. Your client beat the crap out of me and caused me to miscarry. He thought I was cheating on him."

"No further questions," Jennifer mumbled as she turned on her heel and walked back towards the table. Orlando didn't even bother to look at his ex. He was too angry and pissed off at this point.

And that's just the beginning.

X

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 26, 2008**

Elliot and Olivia arrived at the one six forty-five minutes later, after having lunch at a local diner. To their surprise, Jackson was waiting for them; sitting at her desk with a somber look on his face. Jealously and anger rose within Elliot again when he saw the man. The thought of what could happen when Olivia and Jackson saw each other again reentered his mind. What will happen?

"Jackson?" Olivia called out to him. He turned around and gasped at the sight of her. He couldn't believe she looked the same. And she looked amazing despite the fact that she's confined to a wheelchair.

"Olivia? I can't believe it's really you. How are you?" he asked nervously. He leaned down and wrapped her up in a hug for a second before pulling away quickly.

"I've been better. How are you doing? What brings you back to New York?" she asked softly.

He smiled slightly. "Well, I'm here for a business trip, but when I heard what happened to you and what Orlando did, I needed to be here. But, when the trial's over, I'm going back home to my wife. I just couldn't let him get away with what he did to you."

"And I'm glad you did. You've always been there for me, Jack," she told him with a smile on her face.

"Well, you have Elliot now, and I'm assuming he's been taking good care of you, right?" he asked, feeling a little nervous.

Olivia looked up and smiled at her current boyfriend. "He's amazing."

Elliot's fears began to evaporate from the moment she looked up and smiled at him. Even though he was still consumed with jealously, he felt better in knowing Olivia wasn't going anywhere. As he watched his girlfriend and her former fiancé catch up on old times, he realized that he needed to have more faith in her. Right now, she needed him to be there for her and he couldn't bear to let her down, no matter what.

After all, Olivia Benson was fighting back!

**Coming up in the next chapter: Olivia finally testifies. Elliot struggles to keep his cool when Orlando starts making idle threats at Olivia and Jackson goes berserk! Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	14. Chaos in the courtroom

**Well, I'm officially back on the scene with a brand new chapter for you! I'm so sorry for the long delay, but I was sick and just when I thought I was getting better, I was bed-ridden for a better part of the last few weeks with a terrible cold. Furthermore, I could barely move, let alone update, so that's why you only got one one-shot story last week since it was Valentine's day. Well, I'm proud to say that I'm feeling a whole lot better, which means I can update more and more.**

**My fiancé came up with a great idea for this chapter. I've been keeping him updated on 'Running From The Devil' and he gave me a great idea on what Olivia's gonna do to Orlando. And, it didn't take me long to come up with the outcome. So, although Jackson will snap, Olivia will finally get revenge against her ex!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Trial, part 41**

**New York Supreme Court**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 27, 2008**

Orlando didn't bother looking at anyone because he was still pissed off on how the trial's going. For the life of him, how come he couldn't just kill Olivia and get out of town? Because Every single cop in the country will be hunting his ass down and they'll do whatever it takes to bring him down. As the trial went on, more and more anger boiled in his veins because he knew he was going down big time. The icing on the cake was when he saw his ex-fiancee again after several years.

To make matters worse, his lawyer informed him that Olivia will be testifying against him today, which pissed him off even more. For years, Orlando did everything he could to keep her mouth shut, but now, that won't be the case. Olivia fucking Benson will now have free reign to make a fool out of him.

Speaking of Olivia, she arrived in the courtroom a moment later with Elliot in tow, wheeling her right in. Orlando took every opportunity to mumble threats and harsh words at her. To her credit, she didn't even look at him. She never wanted to see him again after what he did to her.

The bailiff took over and made sure Olivia got to the stand safe and sound. After being sworn in, Casey got up from the table and walked over to where the detective was sitting.

"Detective Benson, do you recognize the defendant sitting in the courtroom today?" Casey asked, getting right to the point.

Olivia sighed. "Yes. I do."

"Will you point him out, please?" Casey asked.

Olivia looked over her shoulder long enough to see Orlando glaring at her.

"That's him," Olivia replied softly.

"Let the record show that the witness identified the defendant," Casey declared. "Now, detective, what was your relationship with the defendant?"

"He was my boyfriend in high school. He abused me throughout our entire relationship," Olivia replied.

"How would you describe being abused?"

"He slapped me, punched me, kicked me. He called me vile names, he disrespected me and he would give me the silent treatment."

"Did you state in your grand jury testimony that the defendant sexually assaulted you?" Casey asked, staring at Olivia.

Another sigh escaped the brunette's lips. "He not only sexually assaulted me, he raped me. I was pregnant with his child, but he accused me of sleeping with someone else, so he viciously attacked me, which resulted in me miscarrying."

"Detective Benson, how long did it take for you to finally get away from the defendant?"

"He was expelled from school for pulling the fire alarm, so he had fallen on hard times. He started messing with the wrong crowd, so he wasn't around to hurt me as much anymore. I found out on the news that they had robbed a liquor store, in which the owner was killed. Orlando called me from jail and wanted me to bail him out, but I wanted nothing to do with him anymore, so I finally broke up with him and went on with my life," Olivia explained.

"When was the last time you saw the defendant, Detective?" Casey asked, glaring at Orlando.

"Last month, I went to a bar to unwind after a long day of work. As I was leaving, he came in. He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me out towards the alley, where he attacked me. He threatened to kill me if I said a word to anyone. Since then, he called my apartment once, my partner and I ran into him at the bar, where they got into a fight and...when he attacked me as I was leaving for work. The last time I had any contact with him was when he sent me a threatening letter from jail."

"Thank you. No further questions," Casey said as she turned on heel and went back to her table, just as Orlando's lawyer got up and approached the stand.

"Detective Benson, you stated in your grand jury testimony that you were involved with my client's half-brother while you were with him, is that right?" Jennifer asked, getting right to the point.

"Yes, I was. However, I told Orlando so many times that it was over between us, but he didn't get the hint," Olivia countered.

"So, basically, you were cheating on my client, am I right?" Jennifer sneered.

"I told him it was over! I told him over and over again, but he threatened to kill me if I ever left him! He's crazy!" Olivia snapped.

"If you told him it was over, then why did you accept Jackson's marriage proposal? Did you really think he could give you a better life, huh? Did you think he could come and rescue you?"

"Jackson has always been there for me. He was there for me when I was going through my problems with Orlando and my mother."

"That's right, you're the product of your mother's rape. She was a drunken stupor from what I heard," Jennifer snarled.

"Objection! She badgering the witness!" Casey called out.

"Sustained. You already have several strikes against you, counselor. You got one more time," Judge Donnelly warned.

"To answer your question, yes, my mother was a drunk. She hated me because I looked like my father, who, by the way, did come into our lives after he found out about me. He forced my mother to marry him so he won't have to go to jail. Yes, they both abused me. Yes, they both hated me. Jackson understood what I was going through and told me I can go to him anytime."

"And isn't it true that your mother found out about your engagement and threatened to get Jackson kicked out of school if you didn't call it off, only that not only that you didn't, but you viciously attacked your own mother, right?" Jennifer huffed.

"She came at me with the broken bottle of vodka she was drinking. I was defending myself. I ran away from home and never went back," Olivia said, trying so hard no to cry.

"That night you found out my client was involved in a robbery, why didn't you go down there and bail him out? Why did you make him believe that you called the police when all this time, it was your so-called fiancé was the one who called?!" Jennifer drilled.

"Because he told me what happened! He told me everything!" Olivia snapped back!

"YOU BITCH! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" Orlando raged as he flipped the table over and stormed over to her. However, Jackson went into a rightful rage and tackled him down on the ground. Elliot did everything he could to try to contain the situation, but, truth be told, he did everything he could to control his anger when he watched Orlando making threats at Olivia. He was tempted to run over there and beat the shit out of him.

However, Orlando proved to have the upper hand. He smacked Jackson and pushed Elliot down as he was getting up. He returned his focus over to the bitch who ruined his life, broke his heart and stomped on it without a care in the world. However, Olivia was more prepared for the onslaught this time by pulling her gun out of her holster and pointed it right at him.

"You don't have the balls to shoot me, bitch! Put the gun down and take your punishment like a good little girl," he sneered at her.

"You don't scare me anymore. You don't know me anymore. I never wanted to be with you in the first place, but wouldn't leave me the hell alone. Now, I suggest you go sit down and act like you got some fucking sense!" she boomed.

Orlando lunged at her, but she didn't waste anytime. She pulled the trigger. The next thing she remembered, Orlando was on the ground, letting out a blood-curling scream. She quickly lowered her arms down shakily and realized what she had done. She had shot her ex-boyfriend, the one who had hurt her in more ways than one. She didn't know what to make of it.

And she didn't know how the outcome was gonna be.

X

**Stabler residence**

**Queens, New York**

**May 27, 2008**

The house was silent. All you could head was the cars passing by on the outside, but inside, pure deadly silence lingers in the air.

Elliot and Olivia were sitting in the kitchen, nursing several cups off coffee and reminiscing what just happened in court today. Orlando lost his mind so Olivia had no other choice but to shoot him. It was pure chaos and pandemonium when she saw her ex being carried out of the courtroom in a stretcher. Blood was splattered on the floor when it was all said and done.

"Liv, you did what you had to do. He was gonna attack you again. You were protecting yourself. Everyone saw that," Elliot assured her.

She sighed. "I know. I'm just scared, that's all."

"Baby, if anything, your testimony nailed this case shut. There's no way he's gonna walk now. He's going to jail. Even he knows this," he told her.

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Yes, I know. I'm still worried, though. You were there. His lawyer did everything she could to railroad me. I felt like a little girl being punished for something I didn't do."

"You don't have to worry about a thing. Once Orlando's behind bars, you will continue to get better and better. Doctors told me the progress has been great," he beamed.

She smiled at him. "Yes. Jessica saw how hard I'm working in getting back on my feet. I'm gonna continue to work twice as hard."

Elliot leaned over and kissed her softly. For the first time in his life, he felt at peace. Looking back at everything that's been happening, he realized that life's too short to be dwelling on the past. He has everything he could possibly want. He has the love of his life and he was gonna do everything in his power to not mess it up.

"I love you, Olivia," he told her.

She smiled at him. "And I love you, Stabler."

X

**Rikers Island Correctional Facility**

**Orlando Cane's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 27, 2008**

This is the one place he didn't want to be. Especially right now.

How the hell did he let it happen? His plan was perfect. He was supposed to get his hands on Olivia right in front of everyone and choke the shit out of her until she couldn't breathe anymore. He was supposed to get his revenge against her.

Somewhere along the line, having his half-brother and Elliot tackling him down on the floor wasn't part of the plan. And getting a bullet in his stomach wasn't part of the plan, either. Nonetheless, he was laying the bed in the intensive care unit and there's nothing he can do to change it.

To make matters worse, he found out that both lawyer made closing arguments in court after the chaos that happened. And you can best believe he will be there to meet his fate. He knew he was going down because everything his lawyer dished out, Casey and Alex were able to respond with vengeance. Orlando once believed there was a glimmer of hope somewhere, but he needs to face facts. Once again, Olivia Benson made his life a living hell. She ruined his life.

And he'll never forgive her for it. Never, ever forgive her.

X

**Stabler residence**

**Queens, New York**

**May 27-28, 2008**

Olivia laid away in the darkness. She couldn't sleep, which wasn't surprising because she had a lot on her mind. She looked over and smiled at Elliot, who was sleeping peacefully with his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned over and kissed his cheek softly before she shifted around on the bed and finally got comfortable.

Seeing Orlando again terrified her at first, but then she realized that she had a huge support system. In any normal case, she would be stubborn and brush off any help that was offered, but, for once, she was glad to have people like Elliot being there for her in her time of need. And, he was right; there was no way her ex was gonna get away with what he did to her. The evidence against him proved to be overwhelming. He was finally gonna pay for what he did to her.

And now, with all the drama behind her, she was so looking forward to start over with her life. She was ready to start living again. And she will start living again.

With Elliot by her side, of course.

**Coming up in the next chapter: The verdict comes in. Will Orlando walk or will he be found guilty? And, Olivia's blessed with another miracle. Stay tuned!**

**Please review!**


	15. A damn good day

**Well, I'm back. And, as you can see, in this chapter, the verdict comes in. And, I'm sad to say that this story is winding down. Yes, I have about one or two more chapters to work with before I end this so I can work on my other stories. I had such a fun time writing this and I wanna thank you so much for loving this story into pieces. I don't wanna break down and cry.**

**On a more personal note, the reason why I haven't been updating in the last few days is because over the weekend, I lost a family member. When my mother told me, I was so shocked and upset because she was suffering from some long term health problems. I miss her already.**

**One more thing, new episodes finally come back this Tuesday and I'm really excited about it because....ALEX CABOT RETURNS! I can't believe she's coming back, even though it's only for one episode. God, I wish she would stay for good; then, it'll be like old times. Matter of fact, I wish Casey comes back for good as well.**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Trial part 42**

**New York Supreme Court**

**Manhattan, New York**

**May 28, 2008**

It took the jury less than six hours to come up with a verdict. Orlando was a bundle of nerves as he arrived in the courtroom...in a fucking wheelchair. He was still angry from what happened yesterday when that bitch shot him point blank and to make matters worse, she got praised for finally defending herself. Didn't they know that Olivia was the reason why his life's so fucked up? But, no, he was the bad guy here and that alone made him more and more angrier.

As he was placed at the defense's table, he looked over his shoulder and wasn't surprised to find Olivia sitting at the other side of the room, silently conversing with Elliot. Orlando just wanted to be sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe that she chose him. If he could still walk, he would run over there and beat the shit out of him.

Meanwhile, Olivia didn't even bother looking at her ex. She had no reason to because she was in a damn good mood. Therapy went well once again and, as of late, she was able to perform some task on her own; like getting out of bed by herself and learning to use her cane properly. She knew it was only a matter of time before she can get back on her feet.

She clutched Elliot's hand as she watched the six man/six woman jury file into the courtroom. Although she felt good on the outside, she was scared shitless on the inside. A million thoughts ran through her head. If Orlando somehow got acquitted, it'll be the biggest slap in the face of all time. There's no way he's gonna walk, especially after all he put her through.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Elliot asked, looking concerned.

She looked at him and sighed. "I don't know what I'm feeling right now, babe. I keep thinking to myself 'what if doesn't turn out right'?"

He squeezed her hand more tightly. "Baby, everything's gonna be all right. There's no way he's gonna walk, especially after Casey and Alex railroaded him. We have way too much on him to begin with, so he had nothing to stand on. Furthermore, his ex's testimony and the way he treated her was bulletproof. Even Orlando's lawyer couldn't discredit her or you."

"I know. Maybe I'm paranoid or something," she admitted.

Elliot leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "Don't worry. He's getting what's coming to him. And even if he does get acquitted, he's public enemy number one. Nobody will wanna mess with him. And, besides, he'll be dead before he sets foot back on the streets again."

"Yeah, you're right," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

Orlando couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand seeing Olivia all hugged up with her partner. But, what could he do? Get up, go over there and break it up? No, he was stuck in a wheelchair for a couple of months, thanks to her. But, he didn't have time to think about his next move because the judge showed up and took the bench moments later.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Donnelly asked, getting right to the point.

A female foreman stood up a second later. "We have, your honor."

"I would ask for the defendant to stand, but due to his condition, it's not possible. So he will stay where he is," Elizabeth said, glaring at him.

Orlando lowered his head in disgust because he couldn't bear being humiliated like that again.

"On the sole count of attempted murder in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?" Donnelly asked.

"We find the defendant guilty," the female foreman announced.

Olivia sighed in relief when the first verdict was read. She looked over at Elliot, who had a huge smile on his face.

"On the sole count of assault with a deadly weapon, how do you find?"

"Guilty."

"On the sole count of stalking and menacing in the second degree, how do you find?"

"Guilty."

"And on the sole count of making criminal threats, how do you find?"

"Guilty."

_Guilty on all counts, _Olivia thought with tears streaming down her olive toned face. She squeezed Elliot's hand more tightly as she looked over and watched her ex slump down in his wheelchair. Justice has finally been served. After years and years of being tortured by Orlando, she finally felt free; not just as a detective, but as a woman as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I thank you for you time. Sentencing will take place two weeks from today. Court is adjourned," Elizabeth said as she banged her gavel.

Orlando kept slumping as the bailiff got behind him and began pushing him away. He looked over his shoulder one more time and scrunched up his face when he saw Elliot doing the exact same thing with Olivia. He knew he was done for this time. Everything that he had work hard for to get revenge against her went up in smoke big time. Now he's gonna spend probably the rest of his life behind bars and he's not looking forward to going back in the slammer.

_I'll never forgive you for this, Olivia Benson. And I'll never forgive you, my dear half brother Jackson, _Orlando thought, anger boiling in his veins.

Meanwhile, Elliot, Olivia and Jackson were in the lobby of the courthouse and began thinking about what transpired back in the courtroom.

"I still can't believe he's going away for a long time. Did you see him look all angry?" Olivia asked, still looking happy.

Jackson smiled. "He was fighting a losing battle. He knew he was going down. I was surprised to learn he had someone else when all that time, he accused you of cheating on him."

Olivia sighed. "I know. Just shows you how much you know about him."

"Yeah. Well, as you can see, it's all over now. I'm going home. My wife's due any day now and I need to be there for her," he told her.

Olivia reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly. "Thank you so much for everything. You didn't have to do anything, but you did."

He smiled. "It's no problem. I'll always care for you. And, from what I've seen, you're in pretty good hands."

She looked up at Elliot and smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"You take care of yourself, okay? And don't hesitate to call me sometime. Elliot, take good care of her, okay?" Jackson told the blue eyed hunk as he stuck out his hand. Elliot took it in with his own and the two shook on it. Then, Jackson turned on his heel and walked away.

"He's a good guy. He really looked out for you," he told her.

She smiled. "Yeah. Jackson and I were friends for a long time. I can always count on him when times got rough and, believe me, it got rough."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Orlando's out of your life completely and you can be happy," he assured her as he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm already happy," she told him as he got behind her and began pushing her out of the courtroom. What she said was true, though.

She was truly happy.

X

**Stabler residence**

**Queens, New York**

**June 12, 2008**

Olivia felt alive in a long time. No more will she have to live in fear and having to look over her shoulder anymore; seeing if Orlando would strike next. Well, he's out of her life permanently, thanks to the justice system.

Just yesterday, Orlando was convicted of the crimes he was found guilty for. He got 25 years to life in prison, plus an additional 10 years for past crimes he committed against her. The judge assured Olivia and Ashley Caruso, Orlando's ex-fiancee that he will never bother them again since he's serving time in a highly maximum security prison. Furthermore, she was also relieved to know that he can't have any contact with the outside world whatsoever. He's literally a caged animal and there's nothing he can do.

Life continued to go on from there. Elliot's now back at work part time, however, he wanted more time because he didn't wanna leave her home alone. Olivia rest assured him that she was gonna be okay and that her wheelchair got her around the house with no problem. The only thing is if she wants to use the bathroom, Dickie was kind enough to carry her up and down the stairs. For a 16-year-old, he was pretty strong, just like his father.

But, on this day, another miracle happened. As Olivia headed into the kitchen to get something to drink, she felt a tingle in her leg. She brushed it off at first; thinking her leg was falling asleep, but it happened again. Before long, the tingle got stronger and strong. Scared straight, she grabbed the cordless phone and dialed Elliot's cell.

"_Stabler," _he answered on the first ring.

"El, it's me. Listen, I know you're at work, but I need to come back home and take me to the hospital. I felt something tingling in my leg," Olivia said frantically.

"_Are you sure? You don't think your leg's falling asleep on you, right?" _

"That's what I was thinking, but it's getting stronger and stronger. I don't know what's wrong with me," she said, breaking down. She could feel fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"_Baby, don't you worry about a thing. I'm on my way right now," _he told her. She heard the phone click, so she sat it down on the counter and buried her face in her hands. God, she'd give anything to know what's happening to her right now.

_Could it be a sign? Could it be that I'm destined never to walk again. I don't wanna feel like this, _she thought sadly.

X

**Attica Correctional Facility**

**Orlando Cane's cell**

**Attica, New York**

**June, 12, 2008**

Orlando hated this. He hated being locked up like a caged animal, but he's gonna have to get used to being back behind bars because that's where he'll be for the next 35 years. Yes, 35 years. 35 year that will be taken away from him. And what can he do? Appeal his case? Not gonna happen, especially since he tried to appeal it once, only to be shot down immediately by the Supreme Court. The evidence against him proved to be overwhelming.

Since then, he took a hard look at everything that's been happening in his life. Truth be told, he should've killed Olivia while he had the chance, then he should've skipped town, but every single cop who respected her would've been on his ass. And that alone pissed him off so much more.

It doesn't matter. He was in hell.

Pure hell.

X

**Mercy General Hospital**

**Olivia Benson's room**

**Manhattan, New York**

**June 13, 2008**

Olivia was a bundle of nerves as she waited for the test results. Ever since yesterday, the tingle in her legs never went away. Elliot never left her side; holding her hand and kissing her forehead gently, assuring her that everything's gonna be okay.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm sure you just got a cramp or something," he told her.

"Oh, God, I don't know what to do," she sobbed softly.

He rubbed her back softly. "Like I said, everything's gonna be okay."

Just then, the doctor came in, carrying a chart in her hands. She looked at Elliot and Olivia and smiled at them.

"Detective Benson, we have your test results right here and I can tell you right now that it's very good news," she told them.

Olivia gasped loudly. "Good news? What kind of good news?"

"The reason why you've been having tingling in your legs is because you're regaining feeling in them," she confirmed, which made Olivia break down and cry.

"You mean she's gonna be able to walk again?" Elliot asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Very likely. Now, I must warn you that these things take time, but she's showing great progress. Now, all I ask if for her to continue physical therapy, but this is good news," she told them before she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Olivia fell into Elliot's arms and sobbed on his shoulder. She couldn't believe it. Just when she thought the worst was yet to come, she got the best news since she regained her eyesight. She was so happy. Truly happy.

And nothing could dampen it now.

Never.

**Coming up in the next chapter: A year later, 'Bad Ass' Benson is back and better than ever! Stay tuned!**

**As I mentioned before, this story is winding down. The next chapter could be the last!**

**Please review!**


	16. Bad Ass Benson is back with a vengence!

**Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to the end of the story and I'm really sad about it. I had a great time writing this and I thank you so much for loving this story to pieces. At this time, I have no plans to do a sequel because I have some other stories in the works and I can't concentrate on doing a sequel when I'm updating on another story. So, when things calm down for me and I'm caught up, may be I'll do another sequel. In fact, in case things does calm down, I've already got the first chapter in the works. In the meantime, please enjoy this final chapter of the story.**

**And, one more thing, didn't you love the episode 'Ballerina' on Tuesday? Carol Burnett was amazing!**

**Enjoy and happy reading!**

**Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!**

**X**

**Special Victims Unit Squad room**

**16****th**** precinct**

**One Police Plaza**

**Manhattan, New York**

**June 14, 2009**

She never thought she would be able to walk inside a precinct again after what she's been through. She never thought she would be able to walk again. But, after months and months of physical therapy, she was back and better and ever. 'Bad Ass' Benson was back with a vengeance!

Olivia felt alive in a long time as she walked through the double doors of the 1-6. She had planned on surprising the gang with her comeback and she wanted to do it right. It's been a little over a year since she's been on the job and she missed it so much. She missed the interrogation, the busts, the running around and catching perps. She missed it all. And, most of all, she missed doing them with her lover and best friend.

Elliot's been so wonderful, so caring, so patient. He was there for her when she needed him the most. In actuality, she didn't want him involved because she didn't want him to get hurt. However, that turned out to be not the case. He was willing to go hell and high water to ensure her safety. Sure, he still blames himself for what Orlando did to her; causing her so much pain, but she never blamed him. If anything, Elliot Stabler kept her alive.

Speaking of Orlando, she really didn't have to worry about him coming after her anymore. She learned last week that he died in prison a few weeks ago, after getting on the wrong side of prison gang member. The phrase 'what goes around, comes around' gave new meaning when Orlando was stabbed several times. He bled out and died by the time he was found. Whoever stabbed him really did a good job of making him suffer.

Over the course of the last several months, Olivia managed to struck up a friendship with Ashley, Orlando's ex-fiancee. She had no ill will towards the young woman because she's been lied to, used and abused as well. Orlando did an excellent job stringing them both along and for him to instill fear as well, they found comfort in each other. And when Olivia told Ashley that Orlando died, she realized that she can finally move on with her life and she has. She was getting married to a successful accountant in a couple of months and invited Olivia to come to the wedding.

She also keeps in regular contact with Jackson. He even sent pictures of his baby boy, Nicholas Henry Peterson. He's a breathing, living replica of his father and Olivia thought he looked so cute and handsome. She was happy for her ex and extremely grateful for him being there for her as well.

Now, life goes on. Even though she'll still have nightmares about what happened last year, she can as least put it in perspective. She came out of it alive and breathing, with the help of all of her friends. Olivia was a survivor and nothing was gonna change that. She was back and better than ever.

Sighing deeply, she pushed the doors open and walked right inside. She found the others chatting with each other like they had nothing better to do with their times. It looks like things were slow around her. Olivia decided to spice things up.

"I hope you guys are talking about the next perp who's gonna get convicted. Otherwise, you're wasting your time," she teased, getting their attention.

Fin was the first one to wrap her up in his arms. "Welcome back, baby girl. We've been a mess without you."

"Thanks, man," she laughed. Munch was next to hug her. He even managed to put his conspiracy theories in the back of his mind.

"I would say something that would piss you off, so I decided not to," he whispered in her ear.

"John, I missed having you talk about the government," she laughed again.

Cragen was the next person to hug her. You could see he had tears in his eyes. It was no secret that he always thought of Olivia like a daughter and he felt his heart was ripped out of his chest when he learned what happened to her. And to see her so helpless as she was laying in a hospital bed, he felt like he wanted to die. However, she was standing in front of him; smiling, crying and standing tall. He knew everything was gonna be okay. He knew she would come back.

After all, she's one of his best detectives.

"I'm so glad you're back," he whispered in her ear. Olivia smiled brightly as she felt fresh tears falling from her eyes. She's happy to be back as well.

After several more hugs, it was Elliot's turn. Olivia felt her face turning red when she looked at him. God, he was so handsome. She couldn't believe she wasted all those years looking for Mr. Right when he was right in front of her face all along.

"Welcome back, partner," he grinned foolishly. Before she knew what happened next, he pulled in her strong arms and kissed her passionately, in full view of everyone surrounding them. They failed to noticed everyone clapping and cheering.

"It's about time," Fin whispered to Munch, who had a knowing smile on his face.

"Come on, Fin. They've practically been joined at the hip since the first day they met. I'm not surprised," Munch whispered back.

When they pulled apart, they kept smiling at each other. Olivia laid her head against Elliot's shoulder and sighed happily. It doesn't get much better than this.

"I love you," he whispered.

She smiled brightly as she looked up at him. "I love you, too."

"Olivia, I'm glad you came back because there's something I need to say to you. I asked everyone to come here so I can make my announcement," he said, which made her nervous.

"Elliot, after all we've been through, you're breaking up with me?" she asked, raising her voice.

He grabbed her by her arms gently. "I'm not breaking up with you, baby, so don't worry. In fact, what I'm about to say will hopefully keep you with me for the rest of our lives."

"What you talking about, Elliot?" she sassed, using that famous line from 'Different Strokes'.

"I'm talking about spending the rest of my life with you and only you, Olivia Benson. I'm talking about having a family with you; a couple of little Benson-Stablers running around, driving us crazy and brightening our days and nights. I want you; mind, body and soul. My children already adore you, so that's a bonus. So, from my heart to yours, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" he asked as he got down on one knee and pulled out a small black velvet box. When he opened it, a beautiful 10-karat diamond engagement ring was shown to her. Olivia flew her hands up to her mouth and let out a shocked gasp.

"Oh, my God," she squealed.

"Well, will you marry me? Because let me tell you, I can't wait another minute to make you my wife," Elliot declared.

She couldn't believe it. She didn't know what to say because she was speechless. She just nodded her head and felt fresh tears falling from her eyes. They were happy tears, of course.

After sliding the ring on her finger, he got up from the floor and took her in his arms. Again, they failed to notice everyone clapping and cheering for the newly engaged couple.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Stabler!" Alex and Casey squealed as they went over to her. Since no new cases came in, the spent the rest of the day talking, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. It was a refreshing change from what they have to deal with on a daily basis.

And for Elliot and Olivia, it marked a new beginning of their lives.

X

**Stabler residence**

**Queens, New York**

**June 14, 2009**

With his kids out for the time being, Elliot and Olivia took every opportunity to be alone. As soon as they walked through the door, they were all over; holding, kissing and touching each other. If they didn't know any better, they were pretty much having sex against the door. It's been a long time since she did anything like this and it brought up images she didn't wanna think about...until Elliot came along.

He never tore his lips away from hers as he picked her up in his arms and carried her upstairs to the bedroom. Once inside, he gently laid her down, still kissing her passionately and keeping a tight hold on her. She thought she couldn't breathe because his kisses were on fire. His lips were like heroin and she desperately needed a fix. She needed more; so much more.

Before long, their clothes seemed to melt from their heated bodies. As he started kissing her all over, she felt her eyes flutter dreamily. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair and sighed because the sensation felt so good. He parted her legs and inserted one finger inside her swollen opening. Olivia hissed lightly when Elliot inserted another finger inside of her. As he slowly started pumping his fingers in and out of her, she thrashed her head from side to side. She broke out into a sweat and she was panting loudly. She gripped the sheets with her fingers and started screaming out his name. God, that felt so good.

It wasn't long before he removed his fingers away from her swollen opening and fastened his mouth on her hot core. With his tongue, he started licking her up and down, earning a strangled moan coming from her throat. He gripped her hips possessively and paid special attention to her clitoris. She arched her back and moaned his name because she just couldn't hold it any longer. Soon, she was washed away with the most powerful orgasm she ever had in her life.

As she coming down from her high, he moved over her body and slanted his mouth on hers once again. Another moan escaped her lips when he got settled between her legs and slid right inside of her. She wrapped her legs over his back and lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair and screamed out his name, not caring if the neighbors heard her. She was being loved by the one man she adored for 11 years and counting. Elliot was patient, caring and gentle as they were making love.

Nothing could top this moment.

She was finally home. She was finally free.

Forever.

X

**Langton's Cemetery**

**Manhattan, New York**

**June 14, 2009**

It was dark when he maneuvered in the darkness. He just had to see the one person who was gone too soon. His only regret is that he never had the chance to get to know Orlando or having the opportunity to have a relative. Sure, he just found out that Orlando Cane was his half-brother and he watched him getting crucified in court by his ex-girlfriend.

All the man knows is her name is Olivia Benson and she's a cop. She made headlines last year when she was viciously attacked in the parking lot at the precinct where she worked and the finger was pointed at Orlando because she dated him a long time ago. He had no idea Orlando was abusing her all that time. He figured the only reason he attacked her is because she cheated on him and ran off with another man.

Well, now, it doesn't matter because his half-brother was dead and the other, Jackson, was living the good life down south with his wife and son. All that's left is the making the one woman who ruined his life suffer in the worst way possible.

_You'll pay for what you did to my brother, Olivia Benson, _he thought angrily as he laid the bouquet of flowers down in front of Orlando's grave, turned on his heel and stormed away, with thoughts of revenge invading his brain.

And, for Olivia Benson, it will prove to be her greatest fatal flaw.

**The End!**

**Here's the preview for my sequel:**

_**Happy times turn tragic for newlywed Olivia Benson-Stabler when she learns Orlando's other half-brother appears to seek revenge on his behalf. Things get worse when one of SVU's own suddenly turns up missing. It's a race against time to find the perp, save the detective and for Olivia, finally finding peace and closure!**_

**Please review!**


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